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Cymro

Scottish Government and Bilingual Signs

It seems that the Scottish Government may be chickening out when it comes to putting the Gaelic on signs in parts of Scotland because of the scaremongering of some. I find this a total disgrace I must admit and gives some credibility to those who've tried to scare the language away.

Quote:
The impact of bilingual road signs on motorists must be reviewed before any more are erected, the transport minister has said.

Stewart Stevenson was responding to a call from Highland Council for more English-Gaelic signage on trunk roads.

Mr Stevenson said there was anecdotal evidence of motorists performing u-turns on the carriageway after misreading the signs.

The report from a review of existing trunk road signage is due in 2011.

Highland Council's Gaelic committee wrote to Mr Stevenson asking that the review should not be seen as a barrier to the expansion of bilingual signage.

Road signs in both Gaelic and English have been requested by the local authority on key routes to and from the region.

It has asked the Scottish Government to give "urgent consideration" to signage on the A9 from Perth northwards.

Also on the A96 just east of Inverness and on the A82 through the centre of Inverness to the Kessock roundabout.

Committee chairman Hamish Fraser said it would bring the language to the attention of more people.

In his reply to the council, Mr Stevenson applauded its commitment to the language and its work in putting bilingual signs on local authority-controlled roads.

However, he said the review required a minimum of three years of data gathered on what impact existing signage on trunk roads was having.

Mr Stevenson said previous research had shown that drivers spent longer reading bilingual signs than those in one language.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7928902.stm

I have already written to Mr Stevenson myself -  and would strongly suggest others do the same.
GunChleoc

I always wonder what these kind of people do when they travel abroad Razz
Cymro

Get pissed on a beach in Spain and eat Egg and Chips?
GunChleoc

Maybe, but how do they find the beach, there being no monolingual English language road signs Very Happy
Stevie

Can't somebody put a little pressure on them to put up bilingual signs?
kevin04

I think and I'm guessing from my limited time on the north west, but most of the road-signs around Fort William, Inverness, Western Isles are all bilingual.

Even in Perthshire, someone has painted in white on an old house ''Faitle Gu Peairt'' and the other side ''FREE SCOTLAND''. So, it could be catching on.

I'll go find that white paint
calum

I think those who complain about bilingual signs have never been abroad - to Ireland, Wales (if they count as 'abroad'), Spain, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, parts of Germany.

Most of Scotland's placenames seem to have a Gaelic origin - makes sense to have them in their original as well.
Rinty

I cant think why anyone would take more time to read them as they will read their own version and it takes microseconds anyway.

I think the bilingual signs should be extended across the country and include all major roads, airports, ports, railway stations, etc
Cymro

Those who find bilingual road signs to be dangerous simply shouldn't be on the road in the first place as they are clearly incapable of reading as fast as they drive. The only time a roadsign is dangerous is when you crash into it, in that instance a few Gaelic words on it is the least of your problems.
kevin04

A' Chymro, spot on.

If people are struggling with them, then how do they cope with their maps/sat natvs/aa route finder print outs, which more than likely they'll be using as they'll probably be in an area they are unfamilar with.

Amazing how many people don't even know what language it is! I remember coming into Queen St Station a few months back, and the guy behind me who's conversation I heard most of the journey e.g studying Social Work at Dundee, said ''Why do they have Polish on the Signs ''Welcome to Queen St''

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