IN the past decade speed bumps have appeared all over East Lancashire - sometimes in the most unexpected places.

Some areas look as if councils have gone around randomly dropping loads of unwanted asphalt while others, like the village of Tockholes, became virtual obstacle courses.

There is no question that in the correct location speed humps play a vital role in slowing traffic down - particularly when cars are entering a street where children might be playing and traffic must be slowed down to no more than 10 or 15mph.

But busy roads carrying all kinds of vehicles are not the place for humps which could cause disruption and even damage.

Their positioning should be based on strict road safety considerations - basically whether they will save lives - rather than trying to second guess if bus drivers are likely to put in compensation claims for back problems caused by driving over them.

Slower driving, better seating and suspension should overcome that problem and make travel more comfortable for passengers at the same time.

And the claim that speed bumps hamper the reliability of buses will raise a wry smile from travellers used to hearing all kinds of excuses for services that are not on time.