Highways England multilingual roadworks signs

[Conekicker]

So getting back to the subject, rather than revealing our prejudices, the non prescribed sign authorisations list has been updated to last Friday with no entry for these messages.

Authorisations tend not to be uploaded as soon as they are made, there's often a gap of a few days. I would strongly advise against holding one's breath for the multi-lingual legends to be uploaded though.

[Matthew]

I have seen examples of pVMS being used inappropriately in the past- some of which have been seen here. Nonetheless, I think this is a really positive and original use and I look forward to seeing the success of the trial.

Incidentally, I met Jobert Fermilan (chap pictured in the article) a while back. A really lovely chap.

[RichardA35]

So getting back to the subject, rather than revealing our prejudices, the non prescribed sign authorisations list has been updated to last Friday with no entry for these messages.

Authorisations tend not to be uploaded as soon as they are made, there's often a gap of a few days. I would strongly advise against holding one's breath for the multi-lingual legends to be uploaded though.

My lungs burst, so I emailed HAIL (or HEIL?) earlier today to see what authorisation exists..

[Matthew]

It's the CCC - Customer Contact Centre.

[RichardA35]

My lungs burst, so I emailed HAIL (or HEIL?) earlier today to see what authorisation exists..

It would appear from the response I received that:
a) the trial was for a limited time and has ceased
b) there are no further plans to use the signs elsewhere.
c) currently there are no authorisations for the legends.

I reckon someone has had an interview with their boss with no tea and certainly no biscuits.....

[Vierwielen]

Sometimes our roads get rather over-verbose. A good example is this sign that has its message in both English and Welsh. Surely an alternative would have been to post 12 tonne prohibition sign (which would have been international)?

[nowster]

Sometimes our roads get rather over-verbose. A good example is this sign that has its message in both English and Welsh. Surely an alternative would have been to post 12 tonne prohibition sign (which would have been international)?

The blue "unsuitable for..." sign is not a prohibition. You'd be daft to ignore it but you can legally drive an HGV or a coach down that lane.

[Matthew]

I'm more concerned with the unnecessary apostrophe.

[Chris Bertram]

I'm more concerned with the unnecessary apostrophe.

It used to be the convention that all-caps abbreviations were pluralised with 's. That may have changed, of course.

[Bfivethousand]

Sometimes our roads get rather over-verbose. A good example is this sign that has its message in both English and Welsh. Surely an alternative would have been to post 12 tonne prohibition sign (which would have been international)?

The numerals can be altered to whatever you want nowadays, however it would be more appropriate to use a more conventional (for the UK) limit for enforcement purposes.

As what you suggest would be an environmental (non-structural) restriction, there would no doubt be an exception plate underneath it. Bilingual, of course.

[exiled]

I'm more concerned with the unnecessary apostrophe.

It used to be the convention that all-caps abbreviations were pluralised with 's. That may have changed, of course.

The convention in UK English is pluralisation is 's' alone. So HGVs, PSVs, MPs. To keep the distinction from HGV's etc.

[Chris Bertram]

I'm more concerned with the unnecessary apostrophe.

It used to be the convention that all-caps abbreviations were pluralised with 's. That may have changed, of course.

The convention in UK English is pluralisation is 's' alone. So HGVs, PSVs, MPs. To keep the distinction from HGV's etc.

It is for regular words. And now also for abbreviations. But it was not always so for abbreviations, that's all.

[Vierwielen]

One of the problems with foreign language road signs is that we might end up with smething like this or this!

[nowster]

One of the problems with foreign language road signs is that we might end up with smething like this or this!

They're not foreign languages for the place they were erected, though.

[FleetlinePhil]

It used to be the convention that all-caps abbreviations were pluralised with 's. That may have changed, of course.

The convention in UK English is pluralisation is 's' alone. So HGVs, PSVs, MPs. To keep the distinction from HGV's etc.

It is for regular words. And now also for abbreviations. But it was not always so for abbreviations, that's all.

I was certainly taught to use an apostrophe with abbreviations. My son pulled me up on it once in his teens and insisted was no longer the case, which would be at least fifteen years ago, maybe nearer twenty.

[Bfivethousand]

The TSRGD says "Unsuitable for HGVs".

So that's that.

[Vierwielen]

One of the problems with foreign language road signs is that we might end up with smething like this or this!

They're not foreign languages for the place they were erected, though.

Had you read the linked artcile, you would have seen that "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only" was translated into the Welsh equivalent of "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated".

[nowster]

One of the problems with foreign language road signs is that we might end up with smething like this or this!

They're not foreign languages for the place they were erected, though.

Had you read the linked artcile, you would have seen that "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only" was translated into the Welsh equivalent of "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated".

Ond does neb yn gwybod!

[Vierwielen]

They're not foreign languages for the place they were erected, though.

Had you read the linked artcile, you would have seen that "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only" was translated into the Welsh equivalent of "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated".

Ond does neb yn gwybod!

Which, for the benefit of those who do not know about Google Translate (or who do not read Welsh), this means "But nobody knows"

[nowster]

It's actually a reference to a popular kid's book about a little fat fly which lived behind the clock on a mantlepiece.