THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the PWD keeps updating its smartphone app to help people alert it about potholes and damaged roads so that those can be repaired immediately, its persisting shortcomings has resulted in a decline in the number of users.
The department launched ‘PWD4U’ on June 7, 2021, allowing users to take images of damaged roads and tag them with the app. Complaints or alerts received through the app will be communicated to the assistant engineers and executive engineers concerned by email and text messages. The app, however, lost its popularity after the initial enthusiasm because one can only alert about PWD roads, not NH stretches and roads belonging to local bodies. Besides, the department hasn’t been able to come up with its iOS version. It is available for downloads only on Google Playstore.
According to PWD officials, a total of 22,451 complaints have been received since its inception. Of these, 14,500 complaints were taken up for consideration, but more than 50% of these were not settled. Some of the cases were handed over to other departments, including local self-government, for further action. At present, 7,901 complaints are being processed but these need long-term solutions.
As per the monthly statistics, the number of complaints is declining. If there were 6,610 complaints received in the first month of the app’s launch, the number dropped to nearly half next month. In August this year, it was just 554. This reduction is due to the flaws in the app.G Sudhakaran, former public works minister, released an app called ‘Fix It’ in 2018. This app also had the same features. However, it eventually disappeared owing to a lack of publicity.
Department officials have admitted to TNIE that the app has very few users now due to a lack of public awareness and fewer features. “A lot of people complain to us. The majority of complaints are unrelated to road damage. Most frequently, people request the building of a bridge or widening of already existing roadways. For these complaints, we need to seek administrative sanction from other departments. The app’s ‘iRoads’ software is currently being upgraded,” a PWD official said.
“PWD4U is used by a few groups of the general public. However, the app will only handle complaints about 33,000 kilometres of roads built and maintained by the PWD. The details of 4,000 of these roads have been available in the app. But there is no mechanism for reporting potholes on national highways. Therefore, the PWD should properly advertise the app and provide a feature that allows users to also report damaged NH stretches too,” a source stated.