Snap Send Solve is a free app that enables the public to photograph, geotag and report issues that need fixing in the community using their mobile phone.
Last year alone, Snap Send Solve users made more than 1.7 million reports across New Zealand and Australia, covering issues such as dumped rubbish, overflowing bins, illegally parked cars, graffiti, vandalism, potholes, and damaged or dangerous trees.
When someone submits a report, it includes all the information the responsible authority, including councils, utilities, and major retailers such as supermarkets, needs to respond with, such as photos and/or videos to identify the nature and severity of the issue clearly; geographic coordinates for precise location information; the issue type and category; and any other details the community member wants to share.
Snap Send Solve data has shown that abandoned trolleys have become a major source of frustration in the community. In the past 12 months alone, New Zealanders have reported almost 12,000, up 9 percent from the prior year.
“Abandoned trolleys often find their way a long distance from the store they are attached to and are reported dumped in rivers or waterways, blocking footpaths and generally creating an eyesore,” said a spokesperson for Snap Send Solve.
Beyond abandoned trolleys, they said that shopping centres often feature in reports on a range of hot-button issues, including illegal parking, damage to signs, roads, and footpaths, and dumped rubbish and litter.
However, once the app has been downloaded, it takes less than a minute to take a photo and send a report.
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