Translink is planning to pilot the bi-lingual destination screens on its Londonderry City services.

Translink is planning to pilot the bi-lingual destination screens on its Londonderry City services.

Translink has opened a public consultation on more Irish language destination screens for place names on buses.

This is already in operation in west Belfast. Translink is planning to pilot the bi-lingual destination screens on its Londonderry city services with both English and Irish

Subject to consultation they will begin on the Slievemore Route, with potential to expand to other routes in the city.

Translink said the initiative is a way to "celebrate traditional place names in the city and their meaning".

Translink’s service delivery manager at Foyle Street Alan Young said: “I would urge as many people as possible to express their views during this six week consultation period which runs until April 30 2017. We want to hear as many views as possible and this important feedback will inform our decisions."

He added: “This initiative is a way to celebrate traditional place names in the city and their meaning, while also helping to support local tourism through a unique visitor experience.

"It is proposed to pilot the initiative on Slievemore Route FY12, as it is the busiest Ulsterbus Foyle city service. If successful, there is potential to roll out to other routes across the City”.

Translink said the initiative supports Derry City and Strabane District Council’s commitments to celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity and to "promote equality of opportunity for all".

Translink says 14% of the population in Derry have a knowledge of the Irish language and that the initiative is in a bid to support "key objectives and principles set out in the European Charter for Minority or Regional Languages".

The consultation is available here

Belfast Telegraph