Ulm in view: Citizens report defects - over 3,000 information 2024!

Ulm in view: Citizens report defects - over 3,000 information 2024!

Ulm, Deutschland - In the city of Ulm, citizen participation is blooming thanks to the innovative defect detector! Since 2018, citizens have had the opportunity to report grievances in public space with just a few clicks via a user -friendly website or app. These reports are forwarded directly to the responsible department of the city without the users having to register or register beforehand. According to municipality21 were submitted last year over 3,000 reports, and the tendency is increasing. Problems in the categories of garbage and waste as well as streets and traffic are particularly often reported. The defect detector has established itself as an indispensable tool for the city administration in order to react quickly to the concerns of the citizens.

The users can assign their reports to one of eight categories, which simplifies the processing considerably. There are currently 117 addresses in the background to which the reports are automatically forwarded. Another advantage: the processing status of the reports is visible to everyone. In the event of defective street lamps, the users are even forwarded directly to the damage detector of the Ulm Stadtwerke. The city plans to further expand the system and make use even easier.

The most common defects and their reports

The most common annoyances that citizens report are wild garbage, road damage and defective lighting. A similar picture is shown in other cities such as Erkelenz and Ennigerloh. In Erkelenz, where the defect registration system has been active since 2021, over 500 reports have already been submitted. Here, 33.5 percent of the reports are generated by general order, followed by traffic and road damage. Marcell Breuer, head of the main office, emphasizes that the citizens now have the opportunity to report defects at any time and to pursue the course of the removal, which ensures more transparency. Also in Ennigerloh, where a similar system has been used since October 2021, defective street lighting and wild garbage are the most common reports.

The citizens are enthusiastic about the opportunity to actively contribute to improving their city. Christian Köhler, head of the service department in Ennigerloh, reports on the challenges associated with the removal of wildly deposited garbage. These are often car tires, electronic waste and even animal carcasses, which then have to be disposed of. The city's quick feedback on such reports is of great importance for citizens.

A look at the future of the defect detector

The cities are increasingly recognizing the advantages of such a system. In Lüdinghausen, for example, the defect detector is also successfully used without additional tax money to be output for a separate solution. Anja Kleykamp, ​​communication and citizen participation, emphasizes that the citizens are particularly active on weekends and that the reports are often processed promptly. The state government also offers an exchange among the users of the defect appraiser, which helps the municipalities to continuously improve their systems.

The costs for the use of a defect detector vary. While some municipalities fall back on free offers that often do not offer the best solution, others can use a more comprehensive app solution for a monthly fee. This not only includes the message of defects, but also various designs and statistics. However, such an all-inclusive package can cost up to 500 euros per month, which is worth considering for many municipalities.