POTHOLE repairs in Oxfordshire can be sped up by 'super users' who volunteer through a kind of Uber for street maintenance.

Oxfordshire County Council is recruiting volunteers to take of the role of super users on FixMyStreet.

The app and website allows residents to report potholes, damaged kerbing and drains which Oxfordshire County Council then repairs.

Super users can go further than a normal app user, and can help to speed up the repair process.

There are currently a small number of these users active across the county and the council would like to see the number grow.

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Graham Porcas from Steeple Aston has been a super user since the scheme was first piloted two years ago.

He said: “Steeple Aston has benefitted greatly from the super user scheme – there used to be lots of complaints in the village about the roads, but now there are very few.

“I have a very good relationship with the local highways representative from the council and also with the contractors, Skanska. When I make a report I find that things get fixed very quickly.

“Often I am contacted by the parish council who receive information on local problems from residents and I then go out and do an inspection. I also pick things up in my general day-to-day travels around the village.

“It’s a really good scheme and I would encourage people thinking about volunteering to find out more.”

Read about the super user sign up process at oxfordshire.gov.uk

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Picture: Oxfordshire County Council

Super users are trained in identifying and assessing things like potholes, blocked drains and damaged signs along with guidance on working safely on the roads.

They can also order repairs to be carried out after having reported them.

In the last year, from September 1, 2019, to September 1, 2020, a total of 4,582 repairs have been made in response to reports made through the online system.

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Anything added to Fix My Street by members of the public leads to a council highways inspector visiting the site and assessing whether repairs are needed in the area.

Liam Walker, the council's cabinet member for highways delivery and operations, said: “Volunteers play a vital role in many different areas in Oxfordshire and help to keep the county vibrant.

“With training, support and some minimal resources we can unleash a great deal of enthusiasm in Oxfordshire with people helping to make a huge difference."