Potholes can be a killer and as local authority budgets are strangled, more of our road network is becoming blighted by craters, trenches and various other potential dangers. Now, however, a handy mobile app has been developed to make reporting such defects quicker, easier – and more likely to get sorted…
The Street Repairs app and its accompanying website is the brainchild of Colin Mahoney, and is an initiative to make the reporting of potholes and other road hazards more efficient in order to make our roads safer.
Whether you are a motorist, motorcyclist or cyclist you’ve no doubt noticed the brutal pounding the UK’s infrastructure has taken over the last few years as a result of budget cuts, floods, freezing temperatures and increased traffic volumes.
Research has found that rubbish roads cost British drivers around £1m a day in repair bills, with the average bill for repairs coming to around £240. Subsequently, many drivers end up having to claim on their insurance and a recent AA report revealed that that the average price for a claim is £1,300. The most expensive claim last year was over £14,000 after a driver lost control and crashed after hitting a pothole. Of course tarmac kissing Dubs fitted with air ride or extreme lowering springs are likely to be most at risk of pothole damage, although potholes can also buckle rims and put the kibosh on a car’s suspension geometry.
Yet finding out where to report a road defect, which department is responsible and tracing the progress of your notification can be time-consuming and often soul-destroying process.
This new app, however, allows the public to report problems in real time using digital mapping, and this information is then submitted to the relevant authority, with the website providing information about the problem, including when the authority actually received the report and the likely response time. Photos can also be uploaded to the site.
Speaking about where he got the idea for the site, Mahoney said: “I’m a software developer and an avid motorcyclist. A couple of years ago I took a ride out with my friend. He was on his own bike which hit a pothole, launching him over the handlebars. He suffered a broken wrist and severe damage to his bike. After he got out of hospital we tried to report the issue to the local authority online. After 20 minutes of frustratingly trying to make a report we simply picked up the phone. Another 20 minutes later and after being passed from pillar to post, we explained exactly where the defect was, what had happened in great detail only to be given a reference number. Our initial concern was that it could happen to other road users. After a couple of weeks I had a ‘eureka’ moment and Street Repairs was born.”
While the initiative is mainly for reporting potholes, it can also be used to notify local authorities about fly tipping, blocked drains, missing drainhole covers, faulty road lighting and even problems with road markings…
It sounds like a good idea! You can find out more and download the app here
Ian
The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of VW Heritage