Tweaksare being made to Wiltshire Council’s highway repairs smartphone app after reports of faults with the service.

Since launching in September the free app, My Wiltshire, which allows the public to pinpoint highways complaints including poor road surfaces and vandalised street signs, has been downloaded by 450 people with 515 complaints being logged.

Those submitting issues are asked to take a picture of the problem which registers the location through the global positioning system, logs it with a highways repair team and adds it to their repair schedule.

Wiltshire councillor John Thomson, cabinet member for highways, has trialled the service, which is part of the council’s £125m five-year highways deal with Balfour Beatty Living Places. He said he has submitted 80 reports on the app.

“Some of the problems I’ve noticed is that the GPS doesn’t always correspond with the logged complaint,” he said.

“When this is the case there needs to be improved communication through the app contacting the person who logged the report.”

He said more common sense needs to be applied by repair teams when they spot other problems while answering My Wiltshire logs and they should repair them when possible.

He said: “It has not been perfect but these things take time, the trouble is when you are pioneers problems will happen and others will copy when you’ve addressed them.

“There is a software update available, and I’d recommend everyone who has the app downloads that as it allows the app to run much smoother. We are also looking at making the feedback much clearer to stop people receiving loads of emails.”

Since the council’s highways contract with Balfour Beatty launched in March there have been complaints about the service.

But Coun Thomson said: “Everyone is paranoid about getting this right after the grass cutting issues.

“We have plenty of salt at the ready and if anybody notices any issues with their local salt bins they can inform us through the My Wiltshire app.”

The Gazette put the My Wiltshire app to the test.

Content editor Bruno Clements reported a pothole on the A3661 Bath Road, near Caen Hill Gardens, Devizes, on October 28. He received a message through the app on November 8 to say his complaint had been dealt with.

But he said: “The pothole has been filled but it is still far from ideal as there is still a poor surface around the new plug of tarmac.”

Reporter Craig Jones logged a pothole in Church Street, Trowbridge, on October 25.

Other than an initial email saying the report was received there was no correspondence until Mr Jones contacted the council yesterday.

He said: “I was told that there had been an issue with the GPS which made locating the pothole difficult. I’ve been told that short-term work has been carried out and subsidence may need to be tackled there.”