Any evidence bilingual signs attract tourists?
This survey was carried out by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) at the request of Transport Scotland. To remind Mr MacLeod, Transport Scotland was created in 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. It is an executive agency of the Scottish Government’s Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and accountable to Scottish ministers. Transport Scotland’s chief executive is directly accountable to the cabinet secretary for finance and sustainable growth.
I have not seen the report but I note the figures quoted from it in the article which highlight the difficulties experienced by some tourists. Similarly, I am not familiar with the size of the sample used by TRL. However, given the report was commissioned by a government body of a specialist company, one ought to expect the results have been reached through the use of proper evidence gathering methods.
Mr MacLeod though, demonstrating that spectacular hubris we have come to expect from tin-pot elected members, says: “I do not accept the findings of this report”.
He goes on to say the evidence collected by TRL is “pretty shaky” and the source of the evidence is unclear, even though in the article it is stated tourists were questioned. Indeed, some councillors might find speaking to people and listening to their views a pretty shaky, even radical thing to do, especially on the thorny issue of bilingual road signs.
Mr MacLeod offers no evidence of his own to support his view there is no danger to motorists and adds this is “the widely held view supported by policy makers across the Highlands”. To paraphrase Mandy Rice-Davies, well, it would be, wouldn’t it?
Most intriguing is Mr MacLeod’s assertion the bilingual signs “actually attract tourists, who are impressed by them”. Really? I wonder where the evidence is for that remark? Travel brochures extolling the beauties and attractions of the north of Scotland include the scenery, the wildlife, the archaeology, the outdoor pursuits, the whisky trails etc. I have yet to see the allure of bilingual road signs being included with all that.
But I could be wrong. Consider the following…
Lotte and Hans in Germany are planning a touring holiday in Scotland.
“Gute Gott Hans,” exclaims Lotte, flicking through a copy of the Groat, “do you know zat in ze north of Scotland, zey haff ze bilingual road signs in ze English and some ozer guttural language?”
“Donner and blitzen,” replies Hans, “and I vos going to vaste my time salmon fishing and Munro bagging ven I could be out zere bagging ze bilingual road signs.”
“Ja,” adds Lotte excitedly, “Vot an attraction vee could haf missed. Vee must go soon before all ze peoples in Europe findz out and goes zere before us to see ze signs… vons like... Baile a’ Chaisteil”.
“Vere?” asks Hans.
“Castletown,” says Lotte.
“Oh, vy didn’t you say zat in ze first place?”
No. I don’t think so either. Mr MacLeod, as an elected member, will hold no biased views even though I see he is a fluent Gaelic speaker. Don’t worry sir, I expect you can get a prescription for it.
Ian McElroy,
32 Heathfield Road,
Thurso.
