By Neeraj Nanda
Melbourne,7 September: The Victorian Minister for Roads & Road Safety Luke Donnellan today said an Indian language (possibly Hindi) might follow Mandarin and English, to alert international drivers to changed traffic conditions on the Great Ocean Road (GOR). The Minister was addressing a media conference at the Victorian Parliament along with Multicultural Minister Robin Scott.
New multilingual signs are being rolled out along the GOR to help international tourists safely navigate one of Victoria’s most popular tourist routes. About 25 different messages can be displayed and will be used during peak road work periods.
The innovative idea came from a road worker who was using his phone and Google Translate to communicate to some overseas tourists.
“The decision to start off with Mandarin was purely based on the fact that the largest number of tourists visiting the GOR were from China”, Robin Scott said answering to a question by the South Asia Times (SAT).
“The Andrews Labor Government has invested $53 million to make the Great Ocean Road safer, with roadside remediation works such as rock netting and retaining walls. This investment is on top of the $ 50 million State and Federal program of capital works and maintenance on the Great Ocean Road,” says a media release.
