Ekurhuleni, 13 October 2021:// Ekurhuleni is one of Gauteng’s economic hubs that would benefit from better service delivery and infrastructure maintenance, following the destruction of property and businesses in Vosloorus, Katlehong, Spruitview, Phumula, Leondale and Rondebult during the social unrest of July 2021. But, there is good news for Ekurhuleni and its residents.
Acumen Software, the asset and resource management software company that successfully launched the My Smart City citizen’s platform in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Tshwane, is now rolling out the disruptive tech platform across Ekurhuleni.
The free platform allows city residents to manage their own service delivery complaints – such as potholes, water, traffic light or power outages – by enabling them to log and track service delivery issues in real-time. Ekurhuleni residents can download the app on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or log on via the My Smart City Website.
“We would like to encourage as many Ekhuruleni citizens as possible to download and sign up with My Smart City so they can see their city infrastructure repaired and rebuilt. We now have a voice for citizens, not just an app that acts as a pacifier, but a platform that we all own as citizens and that can generate real action and meaningful change”, said Joao Zoio the CEO of Acumen Software.
The platform has been successfully integrated into the City of Cape Town’s call management system and both Johannesburg and Cape Town have seen a three to fourfold improvement in the turnaround times to resolve service delivery issues, according to Acumen Software’s data and statistics.
The improved turnaround times for the resolution of service delivery issues are due to My Smart City’s dedicated dispatch centre that follows up on behalf of residents that have logged service delivery issues through My Smart City, as well as City officials responding to focused calls that are being logged by My Smart City teams.
“My Smart City has been developed as an enabler to shine a light on where our cities need the most attention in terms of repairs to infrastructure. We want to partner with local government officials to help alleviate bottlenecks and pressure so they can focus on deploying resources in the most effective manner possible. The end game is to lift the appearance and functionality of not just an area but the nation”, explains Kennedy Mogotsi, COO of Acumen Software.
This is the first time that citizens have visibility of the open issues that have been reported. While the My Smart City platform doesn’t have the responsibility of managing service delivery issues directly, the easy, seamless and transparent platform gives citizens a voice and promotes accountability. Accountability is driven by technology and the Acumen Software dispatch centre team which is a conduit between citizens and their municipalities to ensure that issues are followed up on and resolved.
In time, the platform will expand its services and offerings to eventually become a one-stop-shop for city residents to find work, procure services, organise community events and engage with community members.
My Smart City is powered by Force link, which is used by the City of Cape Town to manage the MyCiTi Bus infrastructure and by the City of Johannesburg’s City Power to manage outages and maintenance work on their electricity network.
Download and sign up on My Smart City today to become an active citizen involved in shaping the cities we all dream of.
