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Goodwill gesture: DfT pledges £30k to help Fill That Hole

CTC says money promised by minister will go towards revamp of pothole reporting website & launch of Android app

Fill That Hole, the pothole reporting app and website developed by national cyclists’ charity CTC, is to get a makeover thanks to a cash boost of £30,000 pledged by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The money, which comes from £5.8 billion of funding announced for highways this summer, was promised yesterday by roads and cycling minister Robert Goodwill during a visit to Oldham, will allow CTC to revamp the website as well as roll out an app for Android devices to sit alongside the existing iPhone version, extending its reach to 26 million people.

Mr Goodwill said: “At best they are an irritation but at worst they can damage vehicles and  pose a serious danger to cyclists. That is why we want people to tell councils where to find them so they can fill them in. This app means more people are going to be able to report potholes more easily.

“Filling potholes in quickly is only one half of the story. Research has also shown a long-term approach to road maintenance, rather than patch and mend, can save councils and taxpayers money and potentially save lives thanks to better road conditions.”

CTC says that since the website was launched in 2007, more than 91,000 potholes have been reported, helping local authorities become aware of sites where attention is needed.

Besides helping make roads safer for users including cyclists with councils able to respond more quickly to repair defects, the tool can also save local authorities money – according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, £23.8 million was paid in compensation in England as a result of roads defects last year, giving councils an incentive to fix them as soon as possible.

CTC member Graham Wood of Macclesfield commented: “I have used the Fill That Hole service a  few times in the last three years. It's easy to use and works!

“I had great success with our lane which was in very poor repair. I reported potholes several times and they were usually patch repaired within three weeks.

“These repairs never lasted long and after continuing to report the holes, eventually a highways engineer came out to inspect the lane, he agreed it was unacceptable but said there was not enough funds to make proper repairs.

“Last year however the whole lane was resurfaced in 4 inches of tarmac, super job done and should be good for 10 years at least.”

Gordon Seabright, CTC’s chief executive, added: “CTC has been working to ensure roads are safe for cycling  since our foundation in 1878. We are delighted to have the Government’s support for our Fill That Hole website and app, which are already highly effective ways for road users to get potholes filled.

“This partnership with the Department for Transport will enable us to provide this free service to far more cyclists and other road users. It’s also a great example of CTC and the Government working together to get Britain cycling.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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9 comments

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Guyz2010 | 10 years ago
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Why has the Android roll-out taken so long. My local authority Plymouth City Council have their own app iPhone and Android.

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Guyz2010 | 10 years ago
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Why has the Android roll-out taken so long. My local authority Plymouth City Council have their own app iPhone and Android.

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Velo-Chris | 10 years ago
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£30k seems a generous sum for a site revamp and migrating an app to a second mobile platform.

Looks like the austerity measures are coming to an end  1

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gazza_d replied to Velo-Chris | 10 years ago
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too be fair £30K doesn't go a long way when professionally developing a website and app. Will probably include ongoing support (if they have any sense at all).

Quite cheap for a pothole spotting army for drivers

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Velo-Chris replied to gazza_d | 10 years ago
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gazza_d wrote:

Quite cheap for a pothole spotting army for drivers

Fingers crossed we will enter the same tender process in future :p  1

Developing from scratch I would agree but it'll have to be a full bells and whistles revamp IMO to reflect a £30k investment.

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a.jumper | 10 years ago
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Yes, previous governments funded fix my street, but now it continues unfunded and does more than fill thathole. Wouldn't it be better to either fund fix my street or fund fixes for some of the atrocities constructed in the name of cycling by councils?

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djpalmer32 | 10 years ago
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I use www.fixmystreet.com which forwards reports to the local authority. Problems usually get fixed quite quickly, of course this depends on Local Council.

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gazza_d | 10 years ago
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I may be cynical, but can't help suspect DfTs motive is to get cyclists to report potholes so they can be repaired for drivers.

£30K for a website/app to engage an army of volunteer cycling pothole reporters is a load cheaper than employing proper highway engineers and surveyors.

Yes the christmas spirit is strong in me!

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userfriendly | 10 years ago
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"£5.8 billion of funding announced for highways"

and

"said there was not enough funds to make proper repairs"

What's the money actually being spent on then, I wonder?  39

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