TransLink staff begin wearing language pins for multilingual communication
Need help in a language other than English?
TransLink’s frontline staff are now beginning to wear pins that display the word “Hello” in the other languages they speak.
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This initiative makes it easier for passengers to identify staff who can assist them in their preferred language, improving communication across Metro Vancouver’s public transit network.
TransLink
Currently, upon launch, over 150 frontline workers — including SkyTrain attendants — are now wearing such pins, speaking more than 40 different languages, including American Sign Language (ASL).
TransLink intends to expand this program to more frontline workers, including bus drivers.
“I know it can be difficult to ask for help when you don’t speak the local language,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in statement today.
“These language pins help create a more welcoming environment for all customers and improve the transit experience for everyone who rides our system.”
TransLink
TransLink notes that these pins complement its other multilingual resources, including the customer information support phone hotline at 604-953-3333 and the access transit customer care hotline at 604-953-3680 — both available in more than 300 languages.
Such initiatives reflect Metro Vancouver’s highly diverse population — including many recent or new immigrants — who speak a language other than English or French at home, as well as the high volume of visitors around the world visiting the region.
In 2004, TransLink renamed “Stadium Station” to “Stadium-Chinatown Station,” along with adding Chinese characters for station name signage at the entrance closest to International Village and Chinatown. This served to promote the historic Chinatown district and improve communications with Chinese speakers.
Some other public transit systems have gone even further, providing multiple languages for automated pre-recorded voice announcements, for example. San Francisco’s Muni system has up to four language voice announcements, and they recently rolled out Chinese characters on the digital signs at the front of buses. Many European and Asian systems also provide English for visitors, in addition to any other official national languages or commonly used languages.
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- TransLink's crackdown on fare evasion recovers millions of dollars, finds many Concession pass cheats