Prabhavati blocks scooter rider on footpath in Kozhikode, earns MVD praise

Kozhikode: Motor vehicles department (MVD) on Friday felicitated Prabhavati Amma, an elderly woman whose video went viral for daringly blocking a two-wheeler rider, who tried to take a shortcut through a footpath.Department officials visited the woman and felicitated her with a shawl, expressing their appreciation for her stern stand against the violation.The incident took place near Eranhipalam traffic signal in Kozhikode. While walking on the footpath, Prabhavati stopped a scooter that drove onto the footpath to bypass the signal. Even when the scooter rider tried to move forward in frustration, she refused to step aside and blocked the vehicle with her legs.The video shows her standing her ground and preventing the man from taking the vehicle forward. When the rider attempted to proceed again, she took out her mobile phone to record the situation, prompting the rider to retreat and push his vehicle backwards onto the road.Prabhavati was unaware of the whole confrontation being filmed from a nearby building. The woman at the end of the video realised she was being filmed and gestured a thumbs-up sign, seemingly acknowledging the appreciation of those capturing the video.The video went viral on social media within moments, with many people praising the elderly woman. MVD on Thursday posted the video on Facebook seeking help to identify the woman.After felicitating her, an MVD official requested more images of such individuals, if available, but Amma humorously replied that she had no more pictures and that her phone wasn't so good.Officials urged her to continue her work. They said that they had identified the person in the video and action was being initiated against him. Riding vehicles through footpaths meant for pedestrians is a punishable offence, they added.