Here’s something that’s bound to catch every motorists’ attention – especially the ones on two-wheels since potholes are a lot more dangerous for them. The ever-popular navigation app, Waze, has collaborated with the Selangor state government in an effort to identify and patch potholes within the state. “With this initiative, drivers in Selangor have a simple and effective way to report potholes directly to the authorities, so they can get patched quickly,” commented Edward Ling, country manager for Waze Malaysia.
“Waze has always been about the community. It is the members of the community who are the ones constantly sharing real-time traffic data and other relevant information in order to help ensure smoother journeys. We hope more government bodies will come on board and partner with Waze through this free data exchange program,” added Ling.
Now, how exactly does one make a report whenever he/she comes across a pothole? Simple. As you drive past a pothole, have your passenger (not you, obviously!) hold down the ‘Reports’ icon on the interface. When presented with a choice of 3 report options, select the ‘Hazard’ option.
Within the ‘Hazard’ menu, select the ‘On Road’ option and click on ‘Pothole’ to confirm the type of report. Finally, just tap ‘Send’ to share the report. Best part of this whole process? Waze claims that action will be taken to patch the pothole within 5 days of the report being sent in.
The initiative covers all 12 Selangor state local authorities which includes Petaling Jaya (MBPJ), Shah Alam (MBSA), Hulu Selangor (MDHS), Kuala Langat (MDKL), Kuala Selangor (MDKS), Sabak Bernam (MDSB), Ampang Jaya (MPAJ), Kajang (MPKJ), Klang (MPK), Selayang (MPS), Sepang (MPSepang) and Subang Jaya (MPSJ).
Obviously, there are stretches of tarmac that are either privately-owned or separately managed by the Public Works Department (‘JKR’), the State District Office (‘Pejabat Daerah/Tanah’), or the Malaysia Highway Authority and Concessionaires.
According to Smart Selangor Delivery Unit (SSDU) programme director, Dr Fahmi Ngah, more than 19,000 reports have been sent in from January to November this year with almost all of the potholes patched up since. “This citizen collaboration has shown tangible impacts and we hope that Selangor citizens continue to assist the state in pothole detection via the Waze app,” commented Ngah.