iPhone app puts council info at your fingertips
12:30pm Sunday 2nd October 2011
INFORMATION about school closures, the availability of books in libraries and bus and cycle routes is literally at your fingertips thanks to a new iPhone ‘app’.
Worcestershire County Council has developed the tool to reflect the most accessed areas of the council's website.
Users will be able to find out information on schools, including term dates, search for favourite books, CDs and DVDs in the county's libraries, check out local bus and cycle routes and look up the opening times of household recycling centres.
With winter approaching, the council hopes the free app – which has been developed in-house by the council's web team – will also be a useful way for residents to have information about about potential road closures or emergency flood alerts in the palm of their hand.
Users can also watch webcast council meetings as well as accessing details of all 57 elected county councillors on a special councillor section of the app.
Councillor David Thain, cabinet member for transformation and change, said: “We are an authority that embraces modern technology that makes our processes easier and more convenient for our residents.
“The app is a smart way of bringing new and relevant information and services to people which they can access quickly and easily and, through the webcast function, is further evidence of our commitment to helping people engage with the council, what it does and the decisions it takes.”
Councillor Simon Geraghty, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: “This is a really exciting development for us and is a modern and innovative way for people who lead busy lives to get the information they need, when they need it.
“We live in a fast-paced world these days and the expectation is now for people to find what they are looking for straight away. I am delighted that this app will enable that to happen.
“It will be particularly useful in times of bad weather when parents can get school closure information and motorists can learn of any disruptions to their journey straight away, at the click of a button.”
The new iPhone app is available to download for free from the App Store now.
The app also works on the iPod Touch and on the iPad.
People with other brands of smart phone can use a new, mobile-friendly version of the council's website.
No comments:
Post a Comment