Road signs of Bhutan
Very fortunate to have spent a little time in Bhutan in the last week or so. If you spend any time at all on the roads, you can't fail to notice the lovely road signs.
Here are some links about them:
- Roadside Wisdom by Jessica Vernon for Works That Work
The wry, gentle wisdom of Bhutan’s roadside signs make every drive an opportunity to reflect on the journey of life, and quite possibly reduce traffic accidents as a result.
- Bhutan’s dark sense of humour by Chris Dwyer for BBC Travel.
What the signs lack in punctuation, they make up for by being consistently memorable, thanks to a neat turn of phrase that’s perhaps unexpected from the pens of bureaucrats.
- Bhutan's amazing street signs by someone named Kelly for Go Girl Guides.
I don’t have a massive fear of heights, so I mostly found myself glued to the views. And these hilarious street signs along the highway, which you can find mostly between Paro and Thimpu.
But actually, I found these examples quite disappointing. At least two of these links date back to 2017, and the other is undated (grrr). I have to say, I think the signs have improved in that time. They're simpler, catchier, and written in better English. I noted down a few that I noticed:
- No hurry, no worry
- Be predictable on the roads
- Safety isn't expensive, it's priceless
- Car for nature, save the future
- Start early, drive slowly, reach safely
- A fast drive may be your last drive
- Going steady fulfills your every need
- Driving faster cause disaster