New OS Maps feature empowers land managers to improve route safety
Find out how the CLA has encouraged a new ‘community alerts’ tool in the Ordinance Survey Maps app to help report hazards and manage public access more effectively
Many CLA members have reported frustrations with the Ordnance Survey (OS) Maps app where users are able to create their own routes regardless of the suitability of the right of way or any hazards that might be nearby.
To support members and landowners, recently the CLA’s Chief Legal Adviser and National Access Adviser met with representatives from the OS app team to try and resolve some of these issues. As a result of this meeting a new feature has been launched within the app which now allows users, whether they are walkers, riders, cyclists or land managers, to report a variety of hazards along the route.
Community alerts
The brand new ‘community alerts’ feature works in a similar way to the hazard reporting tools that have long been in use with traffic apps. There is a whole menu of hazards that can be toggled on and off by users, this includes cattle grazing on land crossed by a right of way, flooding or fallen trees that have not yet been dealt with, and more.
If the route is passable with care, then the icon will be a yellow colour; for routes where the hazard makes the route impassable then the icon will be in a red shade. These hazards will then show up on the screen for other users to view. Much like motoring apps if a subsequent user takes the route and the hazard has gone, then they can report the problem as having been resolved.
A useful tool for land managers
Whilst this feature might be primarily aimed at the users of routes, there are obvious benefits to land managers too. Updating the app to show where cattle are grazing could be an innovative way to minimise incidents between walkers and cattle, or if there is an issue with footpaths being used by cyclists, land managers can try registering a hazard on the route to demonstrate that it is not suitable for those on bicycles.
For more information on how this feature works in the OS App, you can find out more here. For help with managing users on public rights of way or issues with mapping apps, don’t hesitate in reaching out to the CLA legal team for assistance.
