WalesOnline readers have had their say on an article about Welsh language road signs. On Tuesday, The Telegraph newspaper reported that Welsh language road signs "will be added to road signs despite warning of risk to lives".
The newspaper was reporting on the situation in Monmouthshire, where the council's English-only street sign policy was found to breach with the Welsh Language Commissioner's standards.
But in its headline it focused on a claim that including Welsh on road signs in Monmouthshire (which it described as a "border county") would "risk lives". Its subhead said: "Officials in Monmouthshire say the move could delay ambulance response times by confusing paramedics unfamiliar with the language."
The issue came to light after a report from the Welsh Language Commissioner found that Monmouthshire council's English-only street sign policy failed to comply with its standards. Monmouthshire Council conducted its own report, which recommended that the replacement of, or additional, signs on existing streets were to be kept English-only.
Read more: No, everyone, Welsh road signs do not make you crash your car (or your ambulance)
The report also suggested that including a Welsh place name could lead to a "dangerous delay" if it did not officially exist in the National Land and Property Gazetteer, which is an initiative used by emergency services to find a location. You can read more about this story.
People have now responded to The Telegraph article, with some describing it as "bloody nonsense". Reader, Kay Harries, called for evidence on ambulances response times being delayed due to some paramedics not being familiar with the language. Kay said: "It's a country with its own language, the signs are bilingual and everybody has managed until now. Unless there is documented evidence of ambulances getting lost on a regular basis, with details of the consequential patient negligence then this would seem to be another non-story".
Annie Gotts had this to say: "Bloody nonsense. I speak and understand a number of European languages yet can barely manage more than half a dozen words in Welsh. But in the 10+years since I met my Welsh partner, and in the thousands of miles I have since driven in Wales, not once has seeing a dual-language sign ever been at all confusing. I can only apologise for this twaddle from my xenophobic countrymen."
Meanwhile, Ann Davies had another alternative solution to the apparent issue. They said: "It’s time to get rid of bilingual road signs and stick to the Welsh version. We must be the only country in the world to have two names for one place. It’s lunacy. Why do we always feel obliged?"
Adil Gatrad added: "A paramedic has enough intelligence to understand that they live/ work in Wales. If bilingual road signs are going to confuse them, then surely we have got a bigger issue here? How pathetic an excuse - and I am not even Welsh myself!"
However, Michelle Elizabeth McWilliams believed that it was "pointless". "It is pointless though," she said. "Especially in places in Wales where Welsh is hardly spoken. Not everyone understands or even wants to understand Welsh but 100% understand English, and yes I was born here and lived here all my life. I just find it highly annoying. Don't even get me started on the wasted money and paper printing everything in both languages.
Reader, Jonathan Jones, said: "Its a fair point in fairness....most of the people from south wales can't read them."
READ NEXT:
- Hundreds protest in anger over second homes as Welsh government accused of 'dragging feet'
- Welshman's emotional meeting with daughter of child his family saved during World War Two
New tourist tax proposed for Wales but no decision on who would pay or how much
- S4C looking for TV lovers to star in Welsh language Gogglebox
