Joburg pothole patrol goes smart during Transport Month
“With the launch of the app and bot, we will no doubt make an even bigger difference.”
The City of Johannesburg’s executive mayor, Mpho Moerane, together with Discovery Insure and Dialdirect Insurance, launched a new pothole patrol app and WhatsApp bot on October 12 to fast track the ongoing war on potholes.
The smart mobility initiative is set to enable the speedy reporting of potholes for attention in Johannesburg as part of the ongoing partnership between the City and Dialdirect, together with Discovery Insure.
The launch of the app and the bot comes after the pothole patrol project already saw over 50 000 potholes repaired since the collaboration was made by the late mayor, Geoff Makhubo, with private companies in May 2021.
The significant amount of repairs completed in just five months were a joint effort by the City’s entity, the Joburg Roads Agency, using its improved environmentally friendly asphalt plant in Selby, while private stakeholders used their own specialised equipment and additional asphalt sourced from a private supplier.
“We’ve made a considerable dent in solving the challenge of potholes on our roads and are pleased to take the partnership forward as we embark on the next phase, using the app and deepening our use of telematics to identify the areas most in need of intervention by the patrol,” said Discovery Insure chief executive officer Anton Ossip.
“With the launch of the app and bot, we will no doubt make an even bigger difference,” he said.
Simple to use
Anneli Retief, head of Dialdirect Insurance, said: “The Pothole Patrol app is simple to use – it geolocates potholes and provides real-time progress on the potholes’ repair statuses. With the bot, users will also be able to report a pothole and view the status of the repair.”
Moerane said the launch of the app and WhatsApp bot is a sure milestone step towards the transformation of Johannesburg into a Smart City as envisioned in the Joburg Growth and Development Strategy 2040.
He praised the progress made by Pothole Patrol with the new smart innovations and describes them as great examples of smart mobility, which is the theme of Transport Month 2021, set annually in October.
“The Pothole Patrol initiative is not only about speeding up the repairs of our City’s road infrastructure, but also to make our roads safer for all users, including motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists, as well as pedestrians. In addition, the use of the app and bot will subsequently reduce traffic congestion in pothole-affected areas and aid seamless traffic flow,” he said.
Moerane added, “The launch of the app and WhatsApp bot today means any road user can easily and conveniently report potholes they come across in the City by inserting the specific location that needs to be attended to.”
The City, together with Dialdirect and Discovery Insure, is urging motorists to download the Pothole Patrol app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play. Alternatively, one can WhatsApp the word ‘Hi’ to 084 768 4653 (084 POT HOLE) and follow the prompts.
