I live in an area where the LRT 3 line is being built, so I’ve been walking on the fair part of the hole day after day. My car often flees without a scratch, but the same cannot be said about my heart.
So when Instagram hit me with an ad about a local app for reporting non-urgent road issues, I immediately downloaded it.
With a RepotLah account, I’ve been trying to make a fuss about any problems on the road (of course being a passenger) ever since.
Karen Chaneling in me
I came across a faulty traffic light at the intersection in front of The Men Mall, I took a picture of it and used it as an opportunity to test the reptile.
On RepotLah’s home page, you’ll immediately see the “Add New Report” option. The app, if you allow it, will automatically tag your live location and allow users to upload a photo and submit a report.
You can choose the type of traffic problem at hand and add a caption to describe the situation. Once submitted, you can track what happens to your report in the “My Activity” tab, which gives users visibility into the status of their report. RepotLah allows you to submit anonymous reports, such as Shop Review.
These reports are verified by RepotLah’s team to ensure that there are no false reports before directing the nearest relevant authority based on the tagged location.
I have not yet been able to confirm whether the traffic problem I have reported has been resolved. However, the app informed me that my request is currently under investigation.
Like social media for problem reporting
If you haven’t created a report, you can scroll through RepotLah’s homepage to stay on social media to like, comment or share others’ posts.
The app has a “Community” tab so users can create or join community groups in their residential area. This is to engage each other and warn your community about problems in the area.
Users will be able to create awareness and discuss local issues to keep the area safe. According to the party, this is meant to be a reminder of the Facebook community.
For a safe society
Kesavan Hari Krishnan (KC) founded Reptallah, and he was on a rocky path in reporting.
“As a citizen, I always wondered where I was [could] Report all the social issues we’ve encountered in Malaysia and I haven’t found any application that allows users to reprimand or report to the authorities, “he told Vulcan Post.
He shared that the Malaysian government has actually tried to create an app for this problem. For example, i-Tagur allows users to submit reports to the authorities.
“However, what we find missing is community engagement and gamefiction,” Casey explained. “We created RepotLah not to compete with the current application created by the authorities, but to complement their current solution.”
Having been in the tech startup ecosystem for eight years, he has given up his entire time to create an app as a pet project. While developing it, KC and his partners realized a greater potential from different angles and decided to transform their pet project into something bigger that could be adopted across SEA.
RepotLah will soon be expanding for users to report any social issues, such as lighting up food stalls called by smokers.
“We have a variety of technology roadmaps that will be rolled out in the coming months, including the implementation of emergency reporting,” Casey told Vulcan Post.
“Imagine access to reporting any problems you may encounter in an application – this is RepotLah’s plan to democratize the way people submit reports in the future.”
A well-proven solution
From the beginning, Reptallah has made connections with some MPs (MPs) in the vicinity of Selangor district. MPs have pledged their support for the app and allowed pilot tests to be conducted with more than 1,000 users in their area between January and March 2022.
During the pilot test, RepotLah resolved more than 40 complaints regarding holes, faulty traffic lights and reckless driving through dashcam footage. Casey proudly shared that they were able to resolve the reports within 24 to 72 hours.
“We have received various responses from the community and will launch a new update for the address at the end of April [them]”Casey shared. That means RepotLah will launch a new and improved version of the app at the end of April, based on the collective feedback from the community.
The team is working closely with the MP and the Malaysian authorities to reach a wider user base for RepotLah. “We are working with relevant technology startups and corporations to partner with us to increase our adoption rate, and we aim to hit 100,000 users by the end of 2022,” KC added.
The app is free to download and use, and its creators created it because their ultimate goal is to be the voice of the people for a safer society.
In terms of their plans to generate revenue, Casey told Vulcan Post that their monetization model would be implemented in the coming months but would not involve users.
Although KC could not share details, he revealed, “The reporting module will always be free as we encourage users to come in with reports and help Malaysia create a safer place.”
- Learn more about RepotLah here.
- Read more app-related articles we wrote here.
Featured Image Credit: Kesavan Hari Krishnan, Founder and CEO of Reptallah
