Italic on roadsigns

I noticed an example of italic being used on a roadsign, in Google StreetView.

I cannot remember having noticed italic used on a roadsign previously.

Interestingly, if one zooms out from that view, so that the movement command arrows become displayed, and one then moves a few goes in the direction indicated by the roadsign, one then arrives at a pair of roadsigns. The following display is a zoomed-in display.

Each sign mixes roman and italic, with different spellings.

I wonder if one is for the national language and one for the local language.

Does anyone know about this please?

More generally, has anyone noticed italic used on a roadsign anywhere else in the world please?

William Overington

9 May 2009