by Ioanna Kyriakou
Potholes are undoubtedly a persistent issue on Cyprus's road network, causing discomfort to the majority of drivers. The solution was provided by a new tool that citizens have had since Tuesday (27/09), with which they can automatically notify the competent authorities not only about potholes but also about any other problem that occurs on the roads. This is the "FixCyprus" application, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and the University of Cyprus's Centre of Excellence for Research and Innovation "Koios". So far, the app has 2,400 users and 230 reports, the majority of which concern potholes or problems on sidewalks and pedestrian streets. George Christou, a research engineer at the "Koios" Centre of Excellence, told "K" that "FixCyprus" aims to enable competent authorities to "see" what is happening in the road network at any time, to support inspections of road network infrastructure, to help identify problems more easily, and to enable every citizen to communicate directly with the competent authorities.
How it works
The application allows citizens to report road network problems as well as infrastructure risks in three steps: take a photo, choose a category, and submit. Citizens should specifically download the "FixCyprus" app, which is available for Android and iOS devices. They must then register with their email or Google account.
Users should open the app, select "New Report," and take a photo of the problem from a close distance so that it can be seen. The location of the report is automatically obtained in addition to the photo.
After that, users must choose one of the reporting categories, which includes damage, obstructions, vandalism, trees (falling/pruning), animals, landslides, blockages, flooding, and more.
Finally, if the user so desires, they can add comments before clicking submit.
It should be noted that each report is automatically submitted to the relevant District Office of the Public Works Department, which will then take the appropriate actions for repair or assignment to the relevant department via the FixCyprus management platform. The application's operation has been delegated to two officers in each provincial office, who will handle the reports.
The app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store on www.fixcyprus.cy and is available in Greek and English.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
