Test drive BBMP’s online apps to report potholes and inform the courts if they fail yet again

Now citizens have a way to put BBMP in the dock at the Karnataka High Court. Following its recent public notification about two apps (BBMP Sahaaya and Fix My Street) for reporting faults in the civic infrastructure, it is expected that they might work better than before. However, civic experts don’t want to take this for granted. Koramangala resident Vijayan Menon who had filed a writ petition about the state of roads in Bangalore is asking every Bangalorean to try out these apps and point out any faults they notice through screenshots and mail him.

The reason why he’s doing this? “The nature of closing the complaints and quality of work will continue to be suspect,” he says.

So here is what he needs from you to support the court case:

1. Use these apps to register complaints (there is a photo uploading facility in the ‘Fix My Street’ app).
2. Keep track of the process and closing.
3. See if responsibility is fixed on to the specific BBMP official.
4. Check on the quality of work. If the quality is crappy, repost on the app, saying that the quality is slipshod.
5. Keep screenshots at various times for submitting to court.
6. Circulate this info/directions to the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in your area to widen the base.
7. Give your experience of using these apps and suggestions on improving them.

“If we get around 10 instances /cases, we can present them in court,” he says. “If the process works, it’s well and good. If it does not, then we will have to ask for fresh orders. We will also have to move towards work quality, contractor accountability, ward committee responsibility, and turn around times.”

Email Vijayan’s colleague Rosita at: rositasequeira@gmail.com