In its commitment to further strengthen the initiative to eliminate smoke belchers and colorum jeepneys across Metro Manila, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has launched its new ‘chatbot hotline’ called Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) . This platform allows netizens-slash-commuters to report public utility vehicles (PUV) who violate the said traffic regulations.

As part of the ‘Sumbong Bulok, Sumbong Usok’ (SBSU) campaign, commuters can just snap a photo with their phones and send the pictures to the I-ACT chat box on Facebook Messenger. It’s easier and faster than the usual reporting, where you still have to list down the vehicle’s plate number with a description of the brand and model.

Netizens can also send videos of incidents and then the bot locate where the incident happened through the GPS. Aside from that, concerned citizens are encouraged to participate and report illegally-parked vehicles, as well as illegal vendors.

Complaints, on the other hand, will be answered by the bot automatically and will be forwarded to DOTr and members of the I-ACT, such as the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. These reports will then be processed and resolved by the respective agencies aforementioned.