Bengaluru co-founder wants to build an app to rate, review potholes. 'Name it Potluru,' says internet

Sivaramakrishnan Narayanan, co-founder and CTO at Fyle, came up with the idea on X, (right) an example of the app's feature shared by Nishanth T (@tnishanthr) on X.

A co-founder in Bengaluru has X users in splits after he shared his hilarious business idea of building an app where people can rate and review potholes. Since people in the city, including business leaders such as Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Mohandas Pai, have been taking to social media to voice their frustration with the authorities regarding the pothole-ridden roads, the idea for the app was welcomed by all.

"Planning to build an app where we can rate and review potholes in Bengaluru," wrote Sivaramakrishnan Narayanan, co-founder and CTO at Fyle, an expense management company. "I recently saw a 7-star pothole and felt sad that it wasn't getting the recognition it deserved. Who's in?"

After the joke quickly gathered a lot of likes and shares, he added in a separate post, "This has kind of taken off. I don't have anything to plug... Except maybe some potholes."

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

But if Sivaramakrishnan's tweet ranked high on the humour meter, the comments did not disappoint.

"By the time you rate a pothole and submit it to the government agency, a three-star pothole would have earned a five-star rating," wrote X user @smileandshine20. "Name it Potluru," added Shashank Jha (@theshajha).

"Wow…! Can we also add 'Pothole of the month' feature and link the star rating with 'tyre damage ability' of the pothole?" asked Akshay (@akshayji10). "If you don't speak Kannada, the review doesn't count," commented @jsensarma.

An overlay on pothole and post it to socials - Something like GPS Camera - stamp app pic.twitter.com/MOmDayjTTfNishanth T (@tnishanthr) October 21, 2024

"Give every pothole a unique ID," suggested Pulkit Saraf (@Pulkit_Saraf). "Make it recognisable based on city and pin code. Example D110001_P00001 for Delhi PinCode 110001 P for pothole 00001 serial number. Example M400001_G000001 for Mumbai 400001pincode Garbage serial number 000001. Ask people to write/print ID on a small flag, put it in centre of attraction, and then upload the photo. Make geo coordinates public."

Several other users also requested Sivaramakrishnan build the app for other cities that have also been facing major pothole problems, if not the entire country.

"I suggest you must consider expanding this to other cities as well. There are a lot of hidden 7-star gems here," wrote Manish (@_zenman), while another X user asked: "Can you include our great city of Mumbai too?"

Vishal Narayanaswamy (@Crudeoilist) commented, "Be kind! Scale this for nationwide!"

Bengaluru business leaders slam Karnataka government for inaction

Infosys co-founder and former CFO Mohandas Pai on Monday slammed the Karnataka government for the poor condition of roads, drainage, and traffic on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road (ORR) which is causing anger among multinational companies that have offices in the area. He added that if the government does not take steps to improve the conditions, these companies may consider opening offices in cities outside the state.

In another tweet shared in August, Pai wrote: "Today in the 21St century cannot Karnataka even build pothole-free roads? Big shame!"

Previously, even Biocon founder and chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had taken to social media to voice her concerns regarding the state of roads in the city. In August, she called the poor condition of major roads in Bengaluru "frustratingly shameful".

In a separate tweet in June, Mazumdar-Shaw wrote that she was “frustrated and angry" at the total lack of responsibility of the local politicians "Why does the government build bus depot and quarters with no road to support it?” she wrote. “Shame on all the local politicians.”