The City of Johannesburg together with Discovery Insure and DialDirect Insurance has launched a new Pothole Patrol app and WhatsApp bot to “fast-track the ongoing war on potholes across the municipality”.
The launch of the app follows the repair of over 50,000 potholes since the Pothole Patrol partnership commenced in May 2021.
The repairs completed in the past five months were a joint effort by the Joburg Roads Agency and private partners, which used their own equipment and asphalt sourced from a private supplier, said a spokesperson for the Pothole Patrol initiative.
How it works
In order to use the Pothole Patrol App, motorists must download the application from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
Thereafter, the app requires motorists to register a profile and from here, a pothole can be reported by uploading a picture and sending the location and details of the pothole you encountered.
Alternatively, if a motorist wants to use WhatsApp to report a pothole, they can send the word “Hi” to 084 768 4653 (084 POT HOLE), and follow the onscreen prompts.
A WhatsApp bot will then guide them through the process.
“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,” said Anneli Retief, Head of Dialdirect Insurance.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Mpho Moerane said: “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 who include 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.”
“The Pothole Patrol collaboration is exactly the kind of partnership that Johannesburg needs more of in other municipal areas of service delivery such as waste management, power supply, as well as infrastructure investment and development, among others. This way, we can easily build a better Johannesburg together,” said Mayor Moerane.
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