Realtime roadworks now on screen

A novel application of vehicle tracking gadgetry has made Buckinghamshire residents the first in Britain to follow the movements of council work crews on their home computers.

Up to the minute progress reports on pothole repairs and road resurfacing projects are now available online from Transport for Buckinghamshire, a partnership between the county council and highway infrastructure services provider Ringway Jacobs.

“Residents can find out where our crews are, what they’re doing and how long the work will take. They will also be able to see when their grass verges are due to be cut,” said partnership communications manager Mark Evans.

Based on Masternaut tracking devices fitted to fleet vehicles, the new system makes details of disruptions available in advance and promises to ease winter travel with reports on roads that have been cleared of snow.

“Having the equipment already fitted to our vehicles has made this a win-win solution for everyone because we are now able to better respond to urgent jobs by re-directing the most suitable technicians and teams in the area.

“The crews accept that the system is about efficient programming, not work monitoring, and it doesn’t allow the public to influence our work,” said Evans.