This Techie Wants To Build An App To Rate Potholes In Bengaluru, Internet Says "Let's Do It"

Potholes are a common sight on Indian roads and they especially increase in number and size during monsoon, causing a lot of problems for the common man. In Bengaluru too, the pothole problem is a persistent issue affecting residents, commuters, and the city's infrastructure. Taking a dig at Bengaluru's notorious pothole problem, a co-founder shared his hilarious business idea of building an app for users to rate and review road craters. In a tweet, Sivaramakrishnan Narayanan, co-founder and CTO at Fyle--an expense management software-- shared his thoughts and invited like-minded individuals to collaborate on this initiative.

''Planning to build an app where we can rate and review potholes in Bengaluru. I recently saw a 7-star pothole and felt sad that it wasn't getting the recognition it deserved. Who's in?'' he wrote on X. As the tweet went viral, he added, ''This has kind of taken off. I don't have anything to plug... Except maybe some potholes.''

See the post here:

Planning to build an app where we can rate and review potholes in Bengaluru. I recently saw a 7-star pothole and felt sad that it wasn't getting the recognition it deserved.

Who's in?

— Siva Narayanan (@K2_181) October 21, 2024

Mr Sivaramakrishnan's tweet struck a chord with many, and the comments section was filled with witty remarks and humorous suggestions.

''This is actually a fantastic idea,'' wrote one user. Another commented, ''The roads should be rated based on the potholes in the neighbourhood and road with the most and worst potholes and positions will be ranked at the top, and the best roads will be ranked at the bottom.''

A third stated, ''Wow…!!! Can we also add a “Pothole of the Month” feature and link the star rating with the “tyre damage ability” of the pothole.''

''Interesting system design problem. Do you want to rate the potholes on size? Depth? Width? Impact on the passenger? Maybe add tagging by geolocation. This could be another example of Build for India scale,'' remarked a fourth. Yet another added, ''This is really an out of box idea. No sarcasm. Must do with all the features suggested so far.''

One user even shared an example of how the app might look like, while someone else suggested the name ''Potluru'' for the app. 

An overlay on pothole and post it to socials - Something like GPS Camera - stamp app pic.twitter.com/MOmDayjTTf

— Nishanth T (@tnishanthr) October 21, 2024

Previously, prominent business figures, including Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Mohandas Pai, have vocalised their discontent regarding potholes and the condition of roads in Bengaluru. In August, Ms Mazumdar-Shaw expressed her dismay over Bengaluru's crumbling infrastructure, labelling the state of major roads "frustratingly shameful". Her comments came in response to a video showcasing the dismal condition of Sarjapur Road, notorious for its potholes and gridlocks, particularly during peak hours.

On Monday, Mohandas Pai, an economist, slammed the Karnataka government for the poor condition of Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR), citing frustrating multinational companies in the area.

Notably, several factors contribute to Bengaluru's pothole problem, including excessive rainfall, inadequate road upkeep, deficient drainage infrastructure, subpar construction materials, and the surge in vehicle traffic. Last month, Bengaluru's municipal authorities were given a 15-day deadline to fill the city's potholes, as per the instruction of Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.