Reporting your problem to this site will get the information into the hands of the people that do the work (the Streets Department) much more quickly.

http://www.designnewhaven.com/2009/03/seeclickfix-transportation-safety.html

I don’t think the barrier is particularly high for cities like Jakarta, if city managers were willing to adopt it as their service platform.

Thanks for your comment. I think it’s a good point but also calls for more investigation.

I’m curious to know why you think cities like Jakarta, Mumbai and Kinshasa are least positioned to use this service. The tool is free (no cost barrier), and though it is currently available in English, Google Maps is available in many different languages, so there is a high potential for localization.

One barrier to entry might be the lack of Internet access, but as you can see on SeeClickFix, the reports are easily synced to a toll-free phone number.

What were some of the barriers you came up with?

I think the biggest obstacle for developing cities to adopt this type of tool is creating effective community-oriented coalitions that have the influence and resources to educate local constituents about how to use this kind of mapping system, and explain why it’s important. Even in the States, SeeClickFix hasn’t really taken off on a large scale, yet, but as you can see in New Haven, it’s gained an active following, which makes me think this type of tool is better utilized on a “hyperlocal” scale (the New York Times must have thought the same thing…)

I’ll be keeping in touch with the founders to see what plans they have to grow the service. My initial thought is that there is a need for more education about issues people should report, besides broken potholes (a dominant concern). What about other mobility and accessibility indicators, like travel delays, transportation costs, lack of accessibility ramps, unsafe street crossings for school children, lack of bike lanes, etc.?

Anyway…it’s got lots of potential, at least.