The stylised character next to a “hail bus” message on Adelaide bus stops has been questioned by the Jewish community, and will be reviewed by the South Australian Transport Department.
According to The Advertiser, the design uses a male character standing in the middle of a road, on the wrong side of the bus, hailing it through the driver’s window with a straight right arm and hand. The words “Hail bus” are next to the male character.
Historically, the Nazi salute was a similar pose and was accompanied by “Heil, mein Führer!” – referring to Hitler during WWII.
Long standing Jewish community leader Norman Schueler said: “Any form of reviving or glorifying Nazism is abhorrent and in poor taste to say the least.”
“We have some survivors in Adelaide, and if they saw these reincarnations, I can imagine what they might think.”
SA Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis immediately asked the department to review the complaint. As the child of Greek migrants, Mr Koutsantonis has been a fierce defender of European minority groups.
He said whilst the signage has been in use for three years with no complaints to his department or office along similar lines, he was “concerned” by the interpretation raised by Mr Schueler and asked his department to review it.
Read the article in The Greek Herald.