Lána Bus

StreetLight · 13-01-2014 2:09am #1

Recently there have many discussions within these forums on the issue of the use of the Irish language within aspects of public transport, such as the RTPI on-street displays.

As the use of the Irish language is, where practicable, supposed to be given equal prominence alongside English, can I turn it around and ask why the vast majority of bus lanes in Dublin City and County seem to be roadmarked only with the Irish 'Lána Bus' and not interspersed with English language markings for 'Bus Lane'?

According to Statutory Instrument 113/1993, the Irish and English markings can be used on their own, or in conjunction with each other:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/si/0113.html

So, why go against the spirit of equal prominence by allowing local authorites the option to roadmark either one or the other, instead of a mix of both?

coylemj · 13-01-2014 2:25am

StreetLight wrote: »

can I turn it around and ask why the vast majority of bus lanes in Dublin City and County seem to be roadmarked only with the Irish 'Lána Bus' and not interspersed with English language markings for 'Bus Lane'?

Because it would cost twice as much to paint both versions and since there's only one letter in the difference, it makes no sense to do so.

If they only painted the English version, the Irish language bullies lobbyists would be up in arms. Painting only the Irish version avoids upsetting them and the rest of us just have to live with it.

gobnaitolunacy · 13-01-2014 9:22am

TBF, it doesn't take much intelligence to work out what 'Lána Bus' means.

Conway635 · 13-01-2014 9:38am

coylemj wrote: »

Because it would cost twice as much to paint both versions and since there's only one letter in the difference, it makes no sense to do so.

If they only painted the English version, the Irish language bullies lobbyists would be up in arms. Painting only the Irish version avoids upsetting them and the rest of us just have to live with it.

Except that this is what happened.

All were "Bus Lane" until 2001, when there was a huge amount of work done to burn off the word "lane" and paint lana.

Now, a better solution might have been to have both in one viz:

Lana

Bus

Lane

C635

Victor · 13-01-2014 9:44am

StreetLight wrote: »

the Irish 'Lána Bus'

Isn't this grammatically incorrect?

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

TBF, it doesn't take much intelligence to work out what 'Lána Bus' means.

Well, I've actually had an London-based engineer ask me what it meant.

Aard · 13-01-2014 11:57am

The main reason it bothers me is that "lána" sounds like hopeless Béarlachas.

Banjoxed · 13-01-2014 11:59am

Aard wrote: »

The main reason it bothers me is that "lána" sounds like hopeless Béarlachas.

Well it is. Big clap hands to Conradh na Gaeilge for that blow against the Gall and common sense.

coylemj · 13-01-2014 2:14pm

Conway635 wrote: »

Except that this is what happened.

All were "Bus Lane" until 2001, when there was a huge amount of work done to burn off the word "lane" and paint lana.

Didn't realise that what I said probably would happen (if they only painted the English version) is exactly what did happen - the council caved into the Irish language police. Another meaningless victory chalked up for them to add to the county name in Irish on registration plates.

Q.E.D.

Aard · 13-01-2014 2:56pm

Can we stop blaming councils, lobby groups, cranks, etc and focus on the fact that Irish is constitutionally the first language of the State. That is the reason for the OLA, and the reason for most Irish-language related frustrations felt by people. There is no Irish language police. It's all the Constitution.

coylemj · 13-01-2014 3:12pm

Aard wrote: »

Can we stop blaming councils, lobby groups, cranks, etc and focus on the fact that Irish is constitutionally the first language of the State.

And ignore the fact that 99% of the people in this country speak a different language in their everyday lives? And that virtually 100% of commercial activity is conducted in English?

Aard wrote: »

It's all the Constitution.

There is nothing in the constitution which said that the town of Dingle had to be renamed 'An Daingean' to the total exclusion of the English version, a farcical situation that arose thank to the OLA. As soon as the effect threatened local tourism, there was an embarrassing climbdown thereby showing where peoples true loyalties lay.

Aard wrote: »

There is no Irish language police.

So who forced the councils to change the signage on the bus lanes to Irish? And who forced the Government to put Irish language county names on vehicle registration plates? The Irish police, that's who.

TheBandicoot · 13-01-2014 3:14pm

Aard wrote: »

Can we stop blaming councils, lobby groups, cranks, etc and focus on the fact that Irish is constitutionally the first language of the State. That is the reason for the OLA, and the reason for most Irish-language related frustrations felt by people. There is no Irish language police. It's all the Constitution.

Ok, then let's change it. Which political party or lobby group is committed to running the required referendum as soon as possible?

Aard · 13-01-2014 4:43pm

No political party seems to be interested in doing that for some reason. Don't ask me why!

BenShermin · 13-01-2014 8:22pm

Simple solution, for cycle lanes the council simply paints a picture of a bike on the tarmac, why not just paint a picture of a bus at the start of a bus lane?? I'm sure the picture will be the exact same in both languages

Victor · 13-01-2014 11:28pm

BenShermin wrote: »

Simple solution, for cycle lanes the council simply paints a picture of a bike on the tarmac, why not just paint a picture of a bus at the start of a bus lane?? I'm sure the picture will be the exact same in both languages

But some people would still get confused.

MGWR · 14-01-2014 1:20am

Aard wrote: »

The main reason it bothers me is that "lána" sounds like hopeless Béarlachas.

If there's no native word, you get it from another language. Most languages are like that. The closest native word, "Bóithrín", literally means "little road" and implies a rural setting, so it's not applicable (although the alliteration of a phrase like "Bóithrín Bus" is a bit musical/poetic).

Is it bothersome that "Bus" (from Latin omnibus) could be construed as "Laidineachas" (sic) per this line of thinking?

Victor · 15-01-2014 1:46am

coylemj wrote: »

the Irish language bullies lobbyists

Can we not get in to labelling / dismissing people and deal with the topic at hand.

Moderator

Mrs OBumble · 15-01-2014 3:44pm

Victor wrote: »

But some people would still get confused take no notice.

Fixed that for ya.

Carawaystick · 15-01-2014 8:31pm

I'd say the good people in an Daingean Uí Chuis were not looking to hand back all their grants for being a Gaeltacht even though they wanted an english town name

gobnaitolunacy · 15-01-2014 9:16pm

Carawaystick wrote: »

I'd say the good people in an Daingean Uí Chuis were not looking to hand back all their grants for being a Gaeltacht even though they wanted an english town name

Which has something to do with bus lanes in Dublin because.....?:rolleyes:

Victor · 15-01-2014 10:53pm

Carawaystick wrote: »

I'd say the good people in an Daingean Uí Chuis were not looking to hand back all their grants for being a Gaeltacht even though they wanted an english town name

Let's stick to the topic at hand please.

Moderator

SpaceTime · 16-01-2014 1:58am

How about just write

"BUS"

That covers both languages!
I think it's pretty obvious that it's a Lane/Lána

Why use two words when one is perfectly clear and bilingual!

It would save on paint and allow for large letters.

MGWR · 16-01-2014 3:53am

SpaceTime wrote: »

How about just write

"BUS"

That covers both languages!
I think it's pretty obvious that it's a Lane/Lána

Why use two words when one is perfectly clear and bilingual!

It would save on paint and allow for large letters.

That's more than bilingual; it covers just about every language on the continent. "Bus" is generally understood to be a contraction of "autobus", and although up in Scandinavia (and the Baltic states) they spell it "Buss", they'd know it from the vocal sound.

(Don't ask me why Latin "scholars" of our modern day are calling the vehicle laophorium though.)

SpaceTime · 16-01-2014 11:47am

In France for example that's all that's written on bus lanes and the signage is a white bus symbol on a blue circular sign.

To add bike lane, they just paint a bike symbol on the road.

Other than that they write Bus Lane in England, I don't know why we do it.

Lána Bus

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