Phoning the city council or dropping into the Town Hall to ask a question could be a thing of the past.

‘Council bot’ may soon be the one answering questions like ‘when shall I put my bins out?’ in your own home.

Preston City Council is one of a number of councils which have been granted £80,000 to explore together the use of chatbots through messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

Chatbots allow you to raise queries, get information or request services through those apps.

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Cabinet member for resources councillor Martyn Rawlinson said: “We have always looked to provide the best services we can for the city’s residents. We already have automated services available through our website, but we are keen to explore the possibilities that further automation affords.

“This project, in conjunction with other councils, will ensure that Preston is on course to remain at the forefront of innovation in providing its services.”

What do you think of this idea? Would you use a council chatbot?