Te huarahi tika, ka ora ai te reo Māori - The road to bilingual traffic signage in Aotearoa

Friday 16 April 2021, 10am to 12 noon

The Te Ao Māori Transport Knowledge Hub is very pleased to be hosting a presentation on ‘The road to bilingual traffic signage in Aotearoa‘‘.

Bilingual traffic signage was the subject of some media coverage late last year, resulting in the Minister of Transport Hon. Michael Wood stating he is committed to having bilingual traffic signs throughout New Zealand by the end of this Government's term in 2023.

Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) are undertaking a significant project to investigate ways to include Te Reo Māori on road signs, and has recently completed research on bilingual traffic signage: International Experiences & Outcomes.

The research looked at why and how bilingual traffic signage was established in overseas jurisdictions, and suggests how signs can be designed to provide for cultural expression and public safety. This research is a crucial building block to provide for bilingual traffic signage in Aotearoa.

Come listen to the latest international research on bilingual traffic signs presented by Dr Maggie Trotter and Kai O’Donnell from the Behaviour & Choice Team.

This is an online event only. A link to join the event will be emailed to attendees closer to the event timing. Please ensure you join the meeting a few minutes early.

Dr Maggie Trotter

Maggie is currently the Senior Advisor - Behavioural Insights at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (since November 2019). She holds a Ph.D in Human Factor Psychology from Monash University, Melbourne. She has previously held roles at Navigatus Consulting, WSP Opus, Monash University Accident Research Centre and the Injury Prevention Research Unit and a significant amount of her research has focused on transport signage. She is passionate about learning from both systems failures and positive solutions to enhance public safety and system resilience.

Kai O’Donnell

Kai is a Behavioural Insights Advisor at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Since August 2020). He holds a M.Sc in Cross-Cultural Psychology from Victoria University and a BA in Psychology and Economics from the University of Canterbury. Prior to working at Waka Kotahi he worked for WSP Opus, and has advised on public consultation projects for a range of organisations, including the UNHCR, INICEF and Waka Kotahi. He is passionate about deepening stakeholder consultation when designing infrastructure that has societal implications.