Oxfordshire residents are being urged to take on ‘super’ powers to help enable faster fixing of potholes, damaged kerbing and drains, through a county council initiative that is now being more widely rolled out following many successfully pilots.
For a number of years Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) has been using Fix My Street to enable residents and its own staff to report problems on the roads and to give updates on progress.
Anything added to Fix My Street by members of the public results in a council highways inspector visiting the site and assessing each problem to see if a repair is needed according to set criteria. If it is, they then place an order for the work to be done.
Now, the county council is calling on residents to put themselves forward to train and volunteer as “super users” who will be able to help speed up the process.
Under the scheme people will be given training in identifying and assessing things like potholes, blocked drains and damaged signs along with guidance on working safely on the roads. They will be authorised not only to make reports but also to order repairs to be carried out.
Volunteers will only be expected to cover their local area on mainly residential or quieter roads and will be assessed to ensure they can use the systems and carry out “Super User” requirements safely.
More information on the OCC News website.
