The Planning and Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is working towards the development of a smartphone application for the identification of broken holes and patches in roads, aka potholes, in the province. The application will be called ‘Pothole Fixer.’
Potholes start off as mere cracks underneath the asphalt layer, which, if not attended to in the early stages, can become problematic not just for travellers but also for the concerned authorities.
More About Pothole Fixer – An Overview
Pothole Fixer is going to be the newest addition to the list of government-run applications facilitating citizens in their daily life. According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the total number of mobile phone users is close to 172 million, most of which are smartphone users. The KP government aims to use the widespread use of mobile technology in the country to help it identify deficiencies in roadways more efficiently.
The Geographic Information System (GIS) cell of the Planning and Development Department is in charge of developing the application. Any complaints about potholes identified by the public will be lodged by the department via the application and then it will be forwarded to the relevant departments, including highway authorities and local government authorities.
Initially, Pothole Fixer will be launched in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) as a pilot project. The idea behind developing the application is to:
- Developing a technology that helps in better governance
- Providing timely response to the needs of people
- Addressing civic problem
How Pothole Fixer Will Work
The most exciting feature of the application is that it will link up the complainer’s real-time-location using Planning and Development Department’s existing GIS platform. To understand this feature, let us first see how the complaint will be registered.
The process of registering a complaint is simple. If a traveller sees a bump in the road, all they need to do is take a picture using the application in their smartphone and upload it. The GIS platform will link up the current location of the person with the picture and a complaint will be recorded along with the coordinates. The complaint will then be automatically examined by the concerned government departments such as Communication and Works, KP Highways Authority, and National Highway Authority and necessary action for repairing those potholes will be taken.
The role of GIS cell is important in the development of the application because it pinpoints the location of the user. The cell has already made progress by mapping a total of 35,817 locations against 8,230 schemes of the Annual Development Program since 2017-18. These GIS cells are present in 35 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa making it suitable to pilot test the application in the province.
Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority (PKHA)
Previously known as Frontier Highways Authority, the Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority (PKHA) was established in 2001. The idea was to create a body that would be responsible for conceiving, planning, constructing, improving, maintaining and repairing provincial highways and roads. Currently, PKHA administers 32 provincial highways which have a total length of 2747 kilometres.
Under Construction Roads In KPK
To cater to the rising need of developed road infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the federal government has initiated multiple projects in KP. Most of these roads will be built to connect less developed areas with other parts of the province. Along with providing connectivity, these projects offer opportunities to earn livelihood to people.
Funds for some of the projects have already been allocated and disbursed by the provincial government for smooth operations. Funds for Lowari Tunnel and its access roads have reportedly been allocated and disseminated. Another project to build a 32 kilometres long patch of Peshawar Northern Bypass has also been started.
Other projects in the pipeline include:
- Dualisation & improvement of Old Bannu Road
- Dualisation and improvement of Pindigheb-Kohat Road
- 36-km Peshawar-Dara Adam Khail Section of N-55
- Construction of Burhan-Havelian Expressway (E-35)
- Motorway from Burhan-Hakla on M-1to Dera Ismail (DI) Khan between Punjab
- Dualisation of Indus Highway (N-55) Sarai Gambila-Kohat Section
- Construction of Malakand Tunnel (Phase-I)
- Khyber Pass Economic Corridor Project
This brings us to the end of our overview of the new ‘Pothole Fixer’ app, set to be launched by the KP government this year. Are you looking for the best real estate blogs in Pakistan? Want to connect to the top source of property blogs in Pakistan? Keep reading Zameen Blog and share your favourite pieces with your friends and family.
