The Find and Fix app, which allows residents to report potholes, faulty traffic signals, leaking storm water drains, missing manhole covers and other infrastructural problems in their area using their smartphones, has scooped three awards.
Four months after the app was launched, it won the Microsoft Application of the Year Award, the Managing Director’s Award and the Public Sector Industry Award at the Microsoft Partner Network Awards 2014.
“This app has positioned the City of Johannesburg and the JRA at the forefront of technology and innovation… a great achievement benefiting the community at large. It forms part of the JRA’s turnaround strategy and service delivery drive,” said the road agency’s managing director Skhumbuzo Macozoma.
The City of Joburg’s MMC for Transport, Christine Walters said,”I would like to congratulate the developers of the Find and Fix app for their innovation and their commitment to strengthening a culture of an engaged active citizenry.”
“The app will also assist us to ensure that Johannesburg, one of Africa’s largest economic hubs, benefits from improved road infrastructure due to faster call logging and fixing turnaround times.”
Since the launch of the JRA Find and Fix app in May, 5 728 citizens had registered on the app and 9 749 issues had been logged.
The app allows users to provide an accurate location of the issues being reported using GPS co-ordinates, and to take a photo of the problem being reported.
However, enhancements to the app were expected in coming weeks including remote logging of an issue by selecting the location on the map, receiving notifications of status changes to the issue logged, allowing users to views details of other logged issues from the map, and the ability to send bulk notifications to other app users.
The Find and Fix app is available for Windows Phone, Android and iOS.
Residents are encouraged to report all road and storm water related issues to 0860 562 874 or hotline@jra.org.za or on twitter @MyJra or using the Find and Fix app.
