Former top cop faces backlash for his ‘deflate tyres’ tip to deal with Bengaluru's potholes

Former police commissioner Bhaskar Rao faced backlash for suggesting motorists deflate tyres to cope with Bengaluru's pothole crisis.

Published on: Sep 25, 2025, 17:15:54 IST

By Yamini C S, Bengaluru

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In an attempt to offer a practical driving tip amid Bengaluru’s worsening pothole crisis, former police commissioner Bhaskar Rao stirred controversy online by recommending a tweak to tyre pressure. His advice, however, didn’t land as smoothly as he intended.

Bhaskar Rao, Bengaluru's former police commissioner, and BJP leader.

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Taking to X on September 23, Rao suggested motorists slightly deflate their tyres, reducing pressure from the standard 34 to 36 psi to around 30 to 32 psi, to ease the jarring effects of driving over the city’s notoriously battered roads. According to him, this adjustment could help cushion the ride on uneven terrain.

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But what followed was a flood of criticism, with netizens and auto experts alike warning that the advice, though well-intended, could endanger drivers and damage vehicles. Many pointed out the risks of running underinflated tyres, from overheating and poor handling to increased vulnerability to sidewall damage.

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"People, never do this. Terrible advice. You will end up with sidewall or wheel damage. Also an underinflated tyre can't expel water properly on wet roads. Not to mention the overheating when you end up on a faster stretch of road. If you want to experiment, don't deviate more than 1-2 psi around manufacturer recommended," posted a user.

Others echoed similar concerns, with another user replying, “that will help but at the cost of the rims getting bent.”

“Yes yes let us adjust our tyre pressures and lets not government do anything good for a change. Yes good idea Mr. Bhaskar Rao. Here's an idea: Let's not pay GST by default, let it be optional. Let's buy cars and bikes and not pay road tax, let us lower the price of automobile,” a comment stated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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