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FIXING THE ROAD, SATELLITE STYLE
A rapid response computer system is being used for the first time in Wales to ensure potholes and pavement cracks are fixed more quickly.
Road repairs in Caerphilly are being dealt with faster after the local authority kitted out all its repair vehicles with a computer link.
The system alerts the crews to urgent repairs as they are reported.
The technology means that the council will save £120,000 a year and repair times are reduced.
Laptop-style computers have been installed into the authority's highway maintenance vehicles.
They are linked via satellite tracking and a mobile phone network to the council's offices, where information on reported road defects is held.
Hours of paperwork which previously had to be completed by crews is no longer needed as the new system records the progress of repair work.
This means that crews are able to carry out more repairs, cutting the average number of days it takes to repair defects from 28 days to 18, resulting in a £500,000 claim reduction cost.
Overall, the system is expected to deliver time savings of more than 8,000 hours or £120,000 per year for the council - meaning the system will pay for itself within a year.
It also gives council call centre staff access to progress reports about the stage of repairs.
Mark Rees-Williams, the council's chief engineer, said: "The faster we can repair potholes, the less chance of getting claims and that's a fantastic benefit for the public purse.
"In the short time we've introduced the system we've seen a dramatic improvement in productivity from our crews.
"The project has been so successful that councils around the country are asking to come and see it as they would like to deploy a similar system."
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