Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is taking a lead in ensuring that its on-street parking controls are consistently well maintained and in great condition. It has just commissioned a new web app from Buchanan Computing to help civil enforcement officers (CEOs) to report back on the condition of signs and markings and any problems they spot.

It is essential that Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) are clearly indicated on street with the appropriate traffic signs and road markings. This is only fair to road users and is an issue frequently raised if a contravention notice is taken to appeal. The new TRO Comments Application provides CEOs with the ability to capture defects as they encounter them on-street. The CEOs can use their smart phones to enter comments regarding the presence and condition of signs and markings. This is not only an efficient method of identifying defects but also enables them to be quickly corrected, ensuring Southend’s parking restrictions remain clear and consistently signed.

Comment markers are plotted on-street by CEOs

As well as the benefit to the public, this new system is expected to result in cost and staff time savings for the Council. Cheryl Hindle-Terry, Team Leader, Traffic Management and Parking at Southend-on-Sea Borough Council commented: We have up to 30 CEO’s and pairs of eyes on site capable of reporting on missing or damaged signs and lines. Using this TRO Comments Facility means we can get speedy and improved messages from the field and to our signing and lining contractor to repair any issues.

Alex Smith, Managing Director of Buchanan Computing added, “we are delighted to have partnered with Southend to develop this application, which has only been possible with their foresight and input. We hope that the productivity saving they achieve will encourage other authorities to follow their lead.”

Back in the office, the TraffWeb screen gives the details of the issues reported.

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