Online cab aggregators are often called out on social media for a variety of reasons -- from unprofessionalism to rudeness and fraud. In some cases, women have also complained about facing sexually-charged advancements and other harassment from drivers.
The latest entry to the list is from NCR's Gurugram where a female Ola passenger was almost caught in the crossfire between her driver and some loan sharks. Making things worse, the woman in a post on LinkedIn alleged that the 'SOS' button on the Ola app didn't work when it mattered the most.
Shazia A, who, according to her LinkedIn profile was a senior manager at Genpact, shared her traumatic experience on Saturday. Tagging Ola Cab's official handle and Bhavish Aggarwal on the social media platform, the woman said the incident happened on the afternoon of December 20, Friday.
Shazia said her Ola driver stopped the car near Gurugram's National Media Centre after being gestured to do so by some bike-borne men. Despite her repeated queries, she didn't get a clear response from the cabbie for stopping the vehicle in a relatively isolated area. Four men on two bikes were closing in on the car when the driver finally told her that his instalment was due and the men belonged to his lender(s).
The woman argued that he should deal with his private matters after completing the trip and she shouldn't be involved in any of it. "I insisted he continue the trip. Instead, the men began to approach the cab, and the driver appeared complicit in their actions. Feeling unsafe, I opened the right-side door and ran for my life. It was an extremely traumatic experience, and I cannot emphasize enough how terrified I felt. To make matters worse, when I tried to use the SOS button on the Ola app, it did not work," the post read.
Shazia said she officially filed a complaint with Ola and mentioned the ticket number in the post. "... it has now been over 24 hours, and I have not received any response. This lack of accountability and urgency from Ola’s team is both shocking and deeply disappointing," she said.
Mentioning Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO of Ola Cabs, the woman demanded the company take necessary action to ensure passenger safety.
Full transcript of Shazia A's LinkedIn post:
I had a nightmarish experience with OLA CAB yesterday on my way to Gurgaon. Sharing this incident hoping to raise awareness about the safety concerns that passengers, especially women, might encounter while using these cab services.
Date - 20th December, Time : 1:30 pm IST
After crossing the toll, the driver inexplicably slowed down the cab. When I asked for the reason, he did not respond. Shortly after, I noticed two men ahead of the cab, gesturing for the driver to pull over to the left. Shockingly, the driver complied, parking the car as per their instructions.
I questioned the driver about why he was obeying strangers, but he ignored me. The situation escalated when I saw two more men on bikes parking to the left of the cab, making it a total of five men, including the driver. This occurred outside the National Media Centre, where traffic was sparse and the road was relatively deserted.
The driver then mentioned, "Meri kist pending hai" (my installment is due), which left me terrified. I responded that his personal matters were not my concern and insisted he continue the trip. Instead, the men began to approach the cab, and the driver appeared complicit in their actions.
Feeling unsafe, I opened the right-side door and ran for my life. It was an extremely traumatic experience, and I cannot emphasize enough how terrified I felt.
To make matters worse, when I tried to use the SOS button on the Ola app, it did not work.
I raised a complaint with Ola (Ticket #7210244), but it has now been over 24 hours, and I have not received any response. This lack of accountability and urgency from Ola’s team is both shocking and deeply disappointing.
Passenger safety is not just a feature—it’s a fundamental responsibility.
OLA CABS/Bhavish Aggarwal - I urge you to respond to this issue immediately and take strict action to ensure passenger safety is never compromised.