Snowbot launched by City of Kelowna

The City of Kelowna has launched two online tools to help keep residents in the know about Kelowna’s snow clearing operations.

First is the City’s new Snowbot, which blends chat and voice bot functions as it can both type and talk. Find the text version at kelowna.ca, and access the voice version by calling 250-469-8600 and selecting option seven.

The Snowbot is an automated service that lets you search your address to find out when your road was last serviced and when you can expect to see service in your area following a snowfall. It also answers a host of questions about snow and ice control in the city, like how our priority snow clearing system works and how to submit a service request. The voice and text versions of the Snowbot provide the exact same information, just through different platforms.

“We manage and respond to hundreds of phone calls and resident inquiries every time there’s a major snowfall,” said Infrastructure Operations Department Manager Geert Bos. “These are often reoccurring questions and with this new service, our crews can focus on the task at hand while residents can find the answers they need without spending their time on hold. Our goal is for the Snowbot to streamline the process and make it easier for residents to get the information they need.”

The city also recently launched a system that automatically posts snow clearing updates following a snowfall. Updates appear at kelowna.ca/snow and show which street type in our four-tier priority system is currently being cleared.

“We’ve heard from residents that they want 24/7, online access to City services. Our chatbots and other digital tools are some of the ways we’re meeting that demand,” said Intelligent Cities Manager for the City of Kelowna, Andreas Boehm. “We always have more work to do than we have people to do it. Automated tools help us make the best and most efficient use of our people.”

Boehm said they’re working on the next step for the Snowbot that will allow it to receive snow and ice removal service requests.

For more information, visit kelowna.ca.