Mumbai: The BMC’s ‘Pothole QuickFix’ mobile application, which is the upgraded version of the older ‘MyBMC pothole fixit’ app has received a good response this year. Since the app's launch in mid-June, a total of 3,193 pothole-related complaints have been registered, with 2,059 complaints resolved as of July 16. Last monsoon, till mid-July, the BMC had received only 413 pothole-related complaints on its app, reports say.
The higher number of complaints is attributed to increased awareness among citizens of the app, as well as to the BMC's prompt response. “As the complaint gets registered, it automatically goes to the respective area road engineer. The staff has 48 hours to address the complaint, and once the pothole is fixed, a photo is sent to the complainant. In case the complainant is not satisfied, he/she can escalate it,” said Chief Engineer (Roads) Girish Nikam.
The officer also added that over 100 complaints are under review or have been deemed invalid, as many involve complaints of uncollected garbage or other issues. However, non-pothole-related complaints are forwarded to the concerned department.
As per the data given by the roads department, as of July 16, out of a total 3193 pothole complaints, the highest of 1703 complaints are received from the western suburbs, of which 1150 are resolved; followed by 922 complaints from the eastern suburbs, of which 590 are resolved; and 568 complaints are received from station area, of which 319 are resolved.
The data also states that out of the total pothole-related complaints, 108 are in review, 142 are in progress, and 25 are escalated. While 860 complaints are deemed invalid.
This monsoon, nearly Rs 154 crore has been allocated for pothole repairs. The potholes are fixed using mastic asphalt.
The civic body launched a dedicated WhatsApp chatbot service (8999228999), which officials claim is user-friendly and aims to make reporting potholes easier and faster for citizens.
The ‘Pothole QuickFix’ app, available on both Android and iOS platforms, allows users to register complaints by uploading photos, location details, and descriptions of potholes. Once submitted, the complaint is automatically routed to the concerned department, enabling civic engineers to take prompt action.
Features include location-based complaint registration, photo and location tagging, status tracking, estimated repair time, and the ability to provide feedback after completion. Similarly, citizens can also register complaints via WhatsApp chat using keywords like ‘Pothole’ or ‘PT’ in English, as well as their Marathi equivalents.
