IT IS too early to know what happened in Darlington town centre yesterday morning, beyond the tragic fact that someone lost their life when a bus crashed into a bank.

We extend our sincere condolences to the friends and relatives of the victim of this terrible tragedy.

The crash has inevitably reopened the debate over public transport in Darlington’s town centre.

Within hours, Jenny Chapman, the town’s MP, said: “We need to understand fully what has happened here and if changes need to be made, then they should be actioned quickly.”

We agree with Mrs Chapman that it is important not to jump to conclusions about this terrible accident. The cause will be revealed by the police accident investigation in due course; but there has been concern over town centre traffic ever since the town’s pedestrian precinct was completed nine years ago.

It is an irony of Darlington’s much-heralded “Pedestrian Heart” scheme that the town centre is now filled with buses picking up and dropping off near the shops. There are so many buses using Prebend Row, Tubwell Row, Northgate, Priestgate and Crown Street that just crossing the road can be a daunting task at peak periods – particularly if you are disabled or a mother with a pushchair.

To compete with other regional shopping centres, Darlington needs public transport which delivers commuters close their destination.

We also know that elderly users appreciate being dropped off near to the shops.

Nevertheless the time has come to review speed limits in the town centre and additional traffic calming measures.

The Northern Echo called for a review of town centre transport after a near-miss five years ago. We take no pleasure in pointing out that we ended with the warning: “Darlington might not be so lucky next time.”