According to the roads agency’s spokesperson, Bertha Peters-Scheepers, enhancements had been made to the mobile app which had already been tested and released.
Users could now log issues remotely by dropping the pin on the map to mark where the issue was, update or delete a service request before action was taken by the roads agency, receive notifications of the status of an issue as it changed, and view the details of other issues logged directly from the map.
Location locking allowed users to lock their location at the point of the issue and log a call later with the saved co-ordinates, while the Map Filter option enabled users to determine what was shown on the map by category and date.
The roads agency’s jurisdiction border was now also visible on the app’s map, informing users of what areas or roads were the domain of provincial, national or other municipalities so that issues could be reported to the appropriate authority.
Updates were available in all app stores (Android, Windows Phone and iOS).
In December, further enhancements including the use of Google, Facebook or Twitter accounts to log into the app, and the ability to track bumps in the road via phone movement would be introduced.
Of the 9 749 issues that had been logged since the app was launched, 4 250 issues were closed.
According to the roads agency, pothole repairs and manhole cover replacements should be completed within three days of being reported. However, the roads agency sought to make all manholes safe immediately once reported.
It further stipulated that a pothole was any hole in the road that was less than 300 metres, while a patch was between 300 and 700 metres, and a trench was anything above 700 metres – the three-day repair time frame did not apply to the two latter road conditions.
The stipulated time frame for clearing blocked kerb inlets was three days after it was reported, while wayleave reinstatements should be completed within three days of the completion of work.
Traffic light failures due to mechanical problems or maintenance needs should be repaired within 24 hours; however, the roads agency noted that faulty traffic lights due to cable/controller thefts, road works or power failures were beyond its control.
Road signs should be replaced within seven days, unsafe areas secured within four hours, and grass cutting undertaken monthly in the rainy season and quarterly in the dry season.
