Moves to extend bilingual road signs in the Highlands are being held up while the Scottish Government checks whether they are affecting road safety (Scotsman).
Stewart Stevenson, transport minister, says drivers take longer to understand Gaelic-English signs and there is anecdotal evidence that some stop or make U-turns on main roads after misreading directions.
Since 2003 the Scottish Government has been installing bilingual road signs on the A82 Inverness to Fort William road and other ferry routes to the Western Isles and Argyll, including Ullapool, Mallaig, Uig on Skye and Oban.
Highland Council wants ministers to give ‘urgent consideration’ to extend this policy on the A9 north of Perth, the A96 east of Inverness and through the centre of the city. It says the signs help enhance the visibility of Gaelic and raise the profile of the language across the region.
Click here to read the full Scotsman news report.
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