Start Software's apps for Clean Up Britain appear on ITV's Good Morning Britain

We developed four apps for anti-litter campaign group Clean Up Britain and they have really taken off.

Start Software's apps for Clean Up Britain

Founder John Read was on Good Morning Britain this morning (he's a regular!) to talk about the litter problem in the UK, and so we briefed him on the amount of data the apps have now collected for the campaign.

John Read on Good Morning Britain today

For example, each week our apps collect more than 1,000 reports from road users reporting litter on the roadside.  Mount your phone so the camera is pointing at the verge, and our automated AI-powered "litter dashcam" app takes photos every few seconds and uses AI to grade the litter and log it to our database.  The information gathered is used to feed back to councils & National Highways and informs the national policy discussion.

Our Litter Dashcam app - https://roadside-litter.cleanupbritain.app/

Try the apps for yourself at https://cleanupbritain.app/ or use this QR code:

Scan to use the Clean Up Britain apps

Debugging the Streets

One of our company values is that we join in and contribute to our communities. This week we did exactly that - a group of volunteers from the Start Software Telford HQ stepped away from their desks and into the community, taking part in a litter picking initiative aimed at making a visible difference to the local area.

Things didn’t go entirely to plan!! Partway through the journey, the weather turned and hail started coming down. Still, the team persevered and got stuck in.

By the end, a noticeable amount of waste had been cleared and the area left in much better shape. Not unlike their day jobs, really. Whether it’s cleaning up data or cleaning up streets, the aim is the same: leave things tidier and improve the environment for everyone.

In a single session, the team cleared three full bags of waste, a shopping trolley, and a roadside fly-tipping deposit. Well done all.

🚗 Start Software's Roadvlog on Good Morning Britain — Clean Up Britain Spotlight on Britain’s Most Repulsive Road

Britain's most repulsive road - the A50/A38

This week, Roadvlog was featured on ITV’s Good Morning Britain during a discussion about Britain’s most repulsive road — and the national attention couldn’t have come at a better time for our growing community of road observers and data contributors.  Watch for yourself, here: https://www.itv.com/watch/good-morning-britain/2a3211/2a3211a4265 (fast-forward to approx. 10 minutes in).

📺 

During the segment, the presenters highlighted how poor road conditions — from litter-strewn verges to deep potholes and debris — are one of the biggest frustrations for British drivers. Roadvlog’s data plays a central role in understanding and documenting these everyday experiences on UK roads.

The A50/A38 problem was first reported by Martin Burrows from Truckers Cleaning Up Britain - so thanks Martin!  Clean Up Britain made the award after reviewing the 5,500+ reports made within Roadvlog.

🚘 What Is Roadvlog?

Roadvlog is a simple, web-based roadside condition logging app that empowers passengers to report and rate the state of roadside verges and road surfaces as they travel. Using GPS-enabled logging, users can:

• 📍 Capture a photo of the roadside

• 🧰 Rate the condition (from clean to serious litter/debris)

• 📊 Submit a report in seconds

All reports are automatically logged with location and local authority — building a powerful, evidence-based dataset that helps campaigners and authorities understand where improvements are needed most.

🛣️ From Drivers to Data: Your Contributions Matter

Roadvlog wouldn’t exist without its active user base. Every submission — whether it’s litter on a country lane or erosion on an A-road embankment — adds to a growing dataset that drives awareness and supports real campaigns for cleaner, safer, and better-maintained roads.

In the Good Morning Britain feature, the importance of data and public feedback was emphasised as part of a wider conversation about road quality and driver frustration across the UK. With issues like potholes and poor verge conditions topping lists of motoring grievances, Roadvlog’s crowdsourced approach is more relevant than ever.

📈 Why It Matters

Britain’s road conditions continue to be a major talking point among drivers — from persistent potholes across local networks to stretches of highway that feel neglected or unsafe. Public reporting tools like Roadvlog shine a spotlight on these issues and provide an independent, data-driven perspective on what’s really happening out on the tarmac.

🧠 Get Involved

Have you spotted a road that needs reporting? Try Roadvlog now at roadvlog.uk and start logging reports today — every submission helps build a clearer picture of the UK’s road health.

Together, we’re turning everyday journeys into meaningful insights that can help influence better road maintenance and policy change.

Do you care about the amount of litter on our roads? Join our volunteer army of data gatherers with RoadVlog, our app for CleanUpBritain

Our director Robin is passionate (and angry!) about the state of the UK roadside verges.  They are often full of litter and debris and, in his opinion (and ours), it has become a national embarrassment.

We've created a free app for the CleanUpBritain campaign to enable car passengers to log the condition of verges as they drive along.  This data will be gathered and used by CleanUpBritain to encourage the Government and responsible agencies to do something about it - the litter is not going away by itself!

Try roadvlog.uk for yourself - it's completely free

You can access the app at https://roadvlog.uk - give it a try as you are driving home tonight!  Even better, ask your team to use the app to record the condition of roads as they drive around for work - the more data we collect, the better!