Council claims savings from online maps

The council said that nearly 19,000 faults have been reported using the online system, which has been available on the Access East Sussex website since it was launched five years ago. The fault reporting system was developed by East Sussex staff in partnership with nearby district and borough councils and the police. It enables residents to notify the council and police about a range of issues and enables the authorities to pinpoint the location of where problems are taking place. People can report on a wide range of issues including problems with traffic signals and road signs, abandoned vehicles, bin collections, graffiti and fly tipping. A spokesperson for the council told GC News that the system is "absolutely essential" in the current economic climate. "As it is a self-service system, it means our staff are not on phones and that we have less people behind the scenes," she added. The council said that the system has also improved customer satisfaction, increased public participation and has helped to speed up the time it takes for the police to remove abandoned vehicles. "This is a fine example of shared services – local authorities working in partnership to benefit local people," said Bob Tidy, lead member for e-government at the council. "Not only does the online system allow people to tell councils and the police about local problems, it also allows them to track progress as the fault or issue is dealt with. The system makes fault reporting more efficient, saves taxpayers' money and makes it easier for people to contact the authorities."