Hamilton mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson is proposing using image recognition technology to automatically detect potholes and other maintenance issues on Hamilton’s streets.

“A top focus as mayor will be finding ways to work smarter to deliver better value for our residents.”

Thomson said the technology could be installed on council vehicles like rubbish and recycling trucks which already travel every street on a regular weekly schedule.

“Right now the council fixes things when it gets requests from residents. I want the city to fix things like potholes or broken road signs before anyone has to complain.”

Thomson said residents can’t report potholes while they’re behind the wheel driving, so issues go unreported longer than they should.

“The longer potholes are left, the worse they get and the more work is needed to fix the pavement.”

“Automating the process would mean a better maintained city and would save money in the long run by fixing problems before damage to the roading pavement gets worse. It’d also help us to prioritise jobs more efficiently.”

The technology could also allow the council to pick up other issues like illegal dumping on berms.

“I want the city to have a reputation of looking after what we have, where residents can trust their council to deal with problems quickly. Potholes are also a safety issue and can cause damage to vehicles, so it’s better for everyone if we fix them quickly.”

“We need to embrace the opportunity that technology brings to do things better, cheaper and faster.”

“We have great local tech companies here in Hamilton and a world class university. Let’s harness that and work together to solve problems with innovative solutions.”

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