The poor state of the UK’s road network is well known by anyone who has had the displeasure of using said roads, and potholes are among the main issues.
There have been a number of pledges by various governments in recent years that roads will be fixed, including a redirection of £8.3 billion originally intended for the northern part of HS2 for use on road repairs, and another allocation of £235 million from the same HS2 project specifically for repairs to London’s roads.
A new mobile app aims to put more power in the hands of the public, giving them the possibility to report the exact positions of potholes and other road defects.
Called Stan, the app (available on both Apple and Android phones) uses a phone’s in-built camera to identify road defects, such as potholes, as the user drives along the road. Obviously, this is more useable for car drivers than motorcycle riders, because the phone can sit more safely in a holder attached to the inside of a car’s windscreen than it can exposed on a motorcycle’s handlebar. But, if positioned correctly, the app should still be able to work. Additionally, the app has a ‘photo mode’ that can be used if you spot something while walking.
The data collected by the app is passed on to councils. The RAC, which has partnered with Stan to be the RAC’s “official pothole reporting partner”, says the passing of the data to councils is done “in the hope they will prioritise road repairs more effectively.” The RAC will also use the data “to put pressure on councils to fix their roads and to argue for greater government spending on road maintenance.”
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