The Western Cape government launched the Roads4U app, which allows road users to report problems, like potholes.
National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images
- The Western Cape government launched the Roads4U app, which allows road users to report problems, like potholes, in real-time using their smartphones.
- The app uses GPS and photo uploads for transparency and allows users to identify the responsible road authority.
- It is free to download on Google Play and Apple App Store, and aims to revolutionise citizen-government interaction on road infrastructure issues.
To make it easier for road users to report problems, the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure launched the Roads4U app at the Ruslamere Hotel and Conference Centre in Durbanville on Wednesday.
With the app, road users can report problems, such as potholes, in real time using their smartphones.
Western Cape Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers said the app would revolutionise how citizens interacted with the government to address road infrastructure problems.
“We are putting the power back into the hands of our citizens. This app opens our road networks, no matter who the custodian of the specific portion of the network is. So, when you download the app, basically all it requires of you is to register. Then you can put on your location pin when you see an issue, take a pic, and upload it,” he added.
During the launch, the app’s developers gave a live demonstration of how road users can take pictures, use GPS to indicate where the specific problem is located, and receive updates on the progress of their report.
From left to right: Roads4U app developer Rudi van Biljon, Roads4U app developer Johannes Neethling, Western Cape Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers and Roads4U app developer Brandon Craytor.
One of the developers, Johannes Neethling, said the app was innovative because it was easy to use and enabled users to tell the different road authorities apart, meaning users would know whether the road authority was the SA National Roads Agency Limited, the City of Cape Town, or a local municipality.
Neethling added that the app served as a mechanism for transparency.
WATCH | ‘We will get it done’: Morero declares war on potholes
“It also centralises all our queries to a central portal, so it’s great transparency within our department and everybody can see what’s going on across the province.”
The department’s acting director for transport infrastructure, Michael Hendrickse, acknowledged that, although the app was efficient and effective at reporting road defects in real time, there were practical considerations to be mindful of.
Hendrickse said:
The public must obviously also be aware that sometimes there are legitimate reasons why some things take longer.
“For instance, a traffic signal that’s down may need a part that we don’t keep in stock, and so that needs to go through a procurement process,” he added.
The app is available on the Google Play and Apple App stores and is free to download.
Kuhle Tshabalala
www.news24.com
