SINGAPORE - Residents can now report all sorts of municipal issues - from pests to fallen branches to road potholes - on the new OneService Portal.
Launched on Friday (Sept 30) afternoon, the website at oneservice.sg allows users to pick the right category, locate the issue on a map, upload photos and submit the report immediately.
Developed by the Municipal Services Office (MSO) and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) in partnership with government agencies and town councils, the OneService Portal complements the OneService App, a mobile application that was launched in 2015.
Besides reporting issues, residents can find information about their neighbourhood on the website. This includes data on dengue and Zika clusters, traffic incidents and block washing schedules, as well as locations of useful services such as the nearest Housing Board branch, resident committees and electronic waste recycling centres.
A Case Map feature provides an overview of municipal feedback cases reported via the OneService Portal and OneService App, to keep residents informed about issues in their neighbourhood. Users can check if an issue has already been flagged before submitting their own report, hence reducing duplicate reports.
"Residents can be reassured that their cases are being attended to by the relevant agencies in a timely manner," said Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, who also oversees the MSO. Since the MSO was set up in 2014, it and its partner agencies have received more than 60,000 municipal cases each month.
The OneService App is also being updated. Since the first version was made available in January 2015, more than 51,000 feedback cases have been submitted.
Version 2.0, launched on Friday, has two new features: a Case Map of the sort that the OneService Portal offers, as well as an option for users to rate their experience of using the app to report an issue.
The MSO, which was set up to improve the coordination and delivery of municipal services, is still exploring new uses of technology.
For instance, the MSO is looking at linking its backend system with those of the town councils, so that cases can be referred automatically.
"This will save time and reduce incidents of cases being dropped, and therefore improve service levels, since the cases are no longer manually transferred and tracked," noted Ms Fu.
But looking into how to do this will take time, as each town council has its own work processes and systems, she added.
The MSO has also facilitated collaboration between the National Parks Board (NParks) and the IDA to develop a "grass height sensor" that can check whether a contractor has cut the grass to the required height. This could mean that NParks officers will need to physically inspect sites less often, saving manpower.
Similarly, the Singapore Land Authority and IDA have recently completed a proof-of-concept demonstration, showing how drones and video analytics technology can be used to automatically detect defects on state properties and land.
"This and the grass height sensor, if proven successful, have the potential to be used for other agencies with land maintenance issues," said Ms Fu.
She was speaking at the annual Municipal Services Awards ceremony held at Gardens by the Bay. Twenty groups of officers received Municipal Services Team Awards, while five officers received Individual Awards.
Among the winners was Mr Mohammad Nazeer Salleh, deputy officer in-charge for residents at the Tampines Neighbourhood Police Centre.
Upon receiving a resident's complaint about noise from the unit above, Mr Nazeer roped in the Housing Board and engaged both households to resolve the issue.
Along the way, Mr Nazeer found out that the wife of the resident who was causing the noise was the family's sole breadwinner and faced financial difficulties. He referred the family to the relevant agencies for financial help.
"Mr Nazeer has not only enabled harmonious living between the neighbours, he has created a deep impact in helping a family in need," said Ms Fu.
