FleetWatch is a firm believer in giving credit where it is due and we thus lift our hats to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) on announcing that, in order to give better service delivery, it is launching its Find & Fix mobile application for testing by citizens. The official launch is set for 14 May 2014 once testing on all platforms is finalised.
“The app is the first of its kind to be launched in the southern hemisphere, Middle East, Asia, and African regions,” says Skhumbuzo Macozoma, MD of JRA explaining that the Find & Fix app will assist the public to report potholes, faulty traffic signals, storm water drains, manhole covers and other infrastructure issues related to JRA.
The app will feature an accurate location with GPS co-ordinates and make it easy to provide photo evidence, which improves the JRA’s assessment of what is required to fix the fault, thereby enhancing efficiency and increasing productivity.
Once launched, the Find & Fix app will be free and easy to use and can be downloaded for most mobile Operating System platforms such as Windows Mobile, Android and iOS for Apple. Issues can thus be reported with just a few clicks from your phone.
Macozoma has called on all to join in testing this innovative application. The beta testing app for Microsoft platforms has been available from April 25th and the app for Android phones is now also available for testing. The beta testing app for iOS systems will be available from May 9th.”
The launch of this testing phase for the mobile app is part of the JRA service delivery drive called the “Just Tell Us” campaign which is an initiative to ensure that the JRA is more accessible to citizens and road users in the city.
The “Just Tell Us” campaign also seeks to stimulate the city’s “Active Citizentry” priority focus which promotes active involvement of citizens in the city’s service delivery activities.
Macozoma says, “JRA is taking its obligations very seriously, and we urge the community to be actively engaged and report issues by using available contact points.”
The JRA has implemented an email address, as well as Twitter and Facebook sites to allow residents to interact on platforms convenient to them. JRA is also launching a service delivery mailbox for service frustrations that have not been resolved the first time or as promised.
Macozoma says: “The JRA is committed to become a centre of engineering excellence with service delivery efficiencies and satisfied customers.”
The JRA encourages all to report all road and storm water related issues – including potholes – to 0860 562 874/ hotline@jra.org.za / twitter @MyJra./ and the new JRA Find&Fix app.
And while on the subject of the JRA, FleetWatch was pleased to come across a crew of workers forsaking a relaxed Sunday with their families to fix the roads in the Honeydew area. Editor Patrick O’Leary stopped to have a chat to them and there was a really great spirit of camaraderie among them. Although tired from a hard morning’s work, they were packing up and preparing to go to another site to continue repairs to the roads. We lift our hats to them.
What an awesome idea!