Snap judgement
Image: The app as it looks on a smartphone. Photo: Alec Smart
BY ISOBEL RUSHE
Snap Send Solve is a free mobile app allowing users in Australia and New Zealand to report public hazards, nuisances or infringements to over 700 responsible authorities for further investigation, including every local council in Australia. However, it has its drawbacks.
Over 3,000 reports are sent to authorities across Australia through the platform each week, growing over 15% per month. The popularity of Snap Send Solve highlights the growing frustration among rate-payers at the myriad of problems plaguing their public spaces.
Within Sydney, the suburb of Marrickville has received the most complaints with 1800 filed complaints through the app just in relation to parking. This is Closely followed by Leichhardt with 1042 and the City of Sydney the mid 500s.
Recently, the application has been receiving some backlash on social media about its feature that allows users to take photos of illegally parked cars and send it directly to their council.
Users took to Facebook to outline their concerns with many people worried about improper use of the app. Local parking rangers have been worried about the apps sudden success and what it might mean for their job status.
Inner city parking ranger Derek Rogeski has discussed his concerns; “I think its great to receive extra help but its going to reduce hours, we spend time walking around to find cars, the app will reduce this as we will know where to go so it’s really not good for hours.”
The founder of Snap Send Solve, Danny Gorog, is certain that the app will not come between parking rangers and their jobs.
“Snap Send Solve provides councils with accurate, timely data on an incidents or issues, but it is the role of the council to solve problems. Snap Send Solve offers councils a helping hand. It is not feasible for parking inspectors to monitor every street at every hour or the day, however with Snap Send Solve the entire community can identify illegal or dangerously parked vehicles so that inspectors can focus on solving the issues.”
However, the app wasn’t created with the intention for just increasing society’s parking fines.
Mr Gorog outlined his vision for creating the app and said, “The idea for Snap Send Solve came about when I took my 2-year-old son to the playground one day and found the swing was broken. Knowing it could prove a lengthy process to report the faulty equipment, I thought to myself, ‘there must be an easier way to reported this so it’s fixed quickly.’ Snap Send Solve is a simple yet effective app that showcases how crowd sourced data can solve problems, while also creating efficiencies within council by reducing the cost to serve rate payers.
“We have been encouraged by the level of enthusiasm from councils across Australia who have recognised that a single app that works all over Australia is valuable, particularly in an age where we all live, work and play across council boundaries.”
The social media blasts about the app weren’t all negative with some users of the app raving about its positives. Overall the app was created to aid society and its workers and not hinder them.
“At the end of the day, we are trying to work together with councils to offer a solution where everyone can contribute to solving problems in the community, without having to think about which council they are in, or which app they need to use.” Mr Gorog said.
