Ever wondered why so many mid-to-upper class Joburgers drive 4x4s, SUVs and bakkies? It’s not just because they like to go off-roading in Harties on weekends, we’ll tell you that much. But there may be some relief inbound.
The City of Johannesburg has now launched a new Pothole Patrol App in partnership with Dialdirect and Discovery. Residents of the metro can now download the app (available on iOS and Android) and report potholes using geolocation tech.
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To report a pothole, users will have to register an account. And while unregistered users can log ’em, they won’t be able to track the status of their queries. Users can log a crater in the tar by pinning their location and uploading images to the app.
Gaping holes in tarmac have become synonymous with living in South Africa — many cities and especially smaller towns have terrible road conditions. Most citizens have just learned to dodge the potholes on their daily commute — but we don’t have to live like this.
Sign up for Pothole Parole
To register, users will have to divulge some personal information in the form of their full names, a cellphone number and an email address.
Once you’re ready to log a hole, you’ll be asked to make sure you’re not driving while using the app (that’s a bad idea, especially on a road with hazards), after which you can tag a location via Google Maps (which suggests that this app may not work on post-2019 Huawei devices).
Users can also log road-holes by sending the word ‘Hi’ to a WhatsApp bot — just send your message to 084 768 4653 and follow the prompts.
Source: BusinessTech
