Techie battles rogue riders online to reclaim footpaths

Bengaluru: What would you do when you spot a biker riding on the pavement? You either curse the rogue rider or resign to fate.
But Bengaluru techie Muttu Raj Divatagi, who is fed up with the growing menace of motorists riding on footpaths, is determined to call out the blatant disregard for pedestrian safety by carpet-bombing social media with appeals to police seeking action.The 24-year-old has, on a daily basis, been tweeting about the inconvenience caused to pedestrians because of these motorists. He says he will continue documenting the violations until traffic police take decisive actions.
Muttu, who lives just a short distance from Channasandra Main Road near Whitefield, starts his day with a brief 700-metre walk to his office, a journey that should be pleasant. However, this simple commute is often disrupted by a chaotic scene: frantic motorists riding on the pavement to escape the gridlocked traffic. “It is frustrating,” Muttu said.
Muttu isn’t alone in his frustration. The pavement along Channasandra Main Road and ITPL Road is a lifeline for many in the community. It serves as the primary walkway for the residents of the nearby apartments, schoolchildren, and shoppers frequenting the area. Additionally, it’s a common route for those getting off at Hope Farm bus stop, and making their way to various destinations.
Every day, these pedestrians, including Muttu, find themselves dodging motorbikes and cars that have taken over their rightful path. The pavement, meant to be a safe haven for walkers, has become a battleground between pedestrians and impatient motorists.
“Daily morning i'm facing this issue. Two wheelers coming on the footpath and blocking the way for us pedestrians. I will tweet daily until you (traffic police) find solution for this problem. This is in channasandra main road,” tweets Muttu along with videos of motorists riding on pavements, keeping count of the day since he started the campaign. “I have been complaining about this for over a month now. I will not stop until traffic police come up with a legitimate solution for pavement encroachment,” adds Muttu.
However, X is not the only place Muttu has talked about this issue. He filed over 20 complaints on Bengaluru Traffic Police- Public Eye website. But as his complaints were left unattended, he stopped filing complaints on the website.
Muttu continues, “A simple solution is to install concrete bollards to prevent footpath riding. Each bollard could cost about Rs 800. So at every cross, 4-5 are enough. There are some 4-5 cross lines. It would cost 20k to 30k, which I’m paying in tax annually. This isn’t a small issue. While I see apartment owners putting up bricks to restrict the movement of motorists, that is simply not enough,” says Muttu.