SignPlot can design bilingual traffic signs as simply as English ones. This feature makes life easier for non-Welsh speakers as well as saving time and ensuring consistency for those who do know the language.

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) publishes its own set of working drawings, available from them on request. These are substantially different from the equivalent DfT drawings. In addition to making the signs bilingual, the spacing between blocks and symbols is changed and in some cases the sign layout is totally rearranged. SignPlot provides for both these differences: it applies automatically its built-in versions of the WAG drawings to correctly space the text and symbols; it contains the approved Welsh language text needed for all worded regulatory signs, ensuring that the Welsh and English languages are used consistently and correctly. This provides the following benefits: the time taken to design signs is much reduced; the WAG drawings do not need to be constantly referred to; signs are always correctly spaced and laid out; bilingual signs can be designed by non Welsh speakers; Welsh speakers achieve consistency by avoiding locally made translations.

For sign manufacturers and contractors working for more than one authority, it is easy to switch between the Welsh first and English first versions of the same sign.

A bilingual parking plate is designed by selecting its TSRGD diagram number and entering the times and other options in abbreviated English. For example, ‘m-f’ for ‘Mon - Fri’, and ‘8-12’ for ‘8am - Noon’. The plate is then displayed with either Welsh or English as the first language, correctly spaced to the working drawings issued by the Welsh Assembly Government.

A significant degree of intelligence is built in to provide for the options and variants permitted on each sign. For example, SignPlot works our whether the time range can be shared by both languages or needs repeating, and knows when and how to abbreviate day and month names in both languages.

Where optional text is permitted, SignPlot presents a template in both languages that may easily be modified.

Other SignPlot features added specifically for Wales include accents on vowels, double height brackets and all other signs and symbols that are unique to the country.

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