A quick-thinking tradie has dragged a 30-year-old man from the drivers seat of a ute after he attempted to drive off.

In the middle of the day on busy Montague road, West End in Brisbane, a man strolls up to a tradie's ute and jumps straight into the driver's seat.

But he barely made it a metre before a worker stopped him in his tracks, springing into action the road worked jumped the barrier, ran across the road, ripped open the door and dragged the 30-year-old from the driver's seat.

Road workers attempted to detain the man at the scene but police say he became violent and ran off.

He was arrested a short time later and has now been charged with unlawful use of a motorvehicle and one count of public nuisance.

The man was granted bail in the Brisbane magistrates court.