The incident has raised concerns about airport security and ride-hailing safety protocols.
A woman in Bengaluru recently had a harrowing experience at Kempegowda International Airport when she boarded a cab that she thought was an official Ola ride. However, the driver turned out to be an impersonator who attempted to extort money from her. Thankfully, she quickly sought help and narrowly escaped the potentially dangerous situation. In a post on X, the woman explained that she booked an Ola cab from the airport's pickup station on Friday after arriving at 10:30 pm. However, the driver, who wasn't assigned to her, approached her and offered to take her to her destination.
Despite her reservations, she got in, only to discover the driver didn't request the mandatory OTP or use the Ola app. He asked her to enter her destination in his Maps app, claiming his official app was malfunctioning. As they drove, the driver demanded extra fare. When she refused, he suggested transferring her to another car for the original fare. Feeling threatened, the woman asked to be returned to the airport pickup stand. The driver ignored her requests, stopped at a petrol station, and demanded ₹500 for fuel.
Staying calm, the woman called 112, India's emergency helpline, while simultaneously keeping a family member informed throughout the ordeal. Police responded swiftly, arriving at the Ola pickup stand within 20 minutes and apprehending the driver who was later identified as Basavaraj.
''Almost got trafficked/raped/looted/assaulted by a random cab driver who was let in by @BLRAirport in the Ola pickup station & impersonated to be one at terminal 1 of BLR airport at 10:30 pm had I not called 112, I'd not be here typing this,'' the woman wrote on X.
See the post here:
The incident has raised concerns about airport security and ride-hailing safety protocols. One user wrote, ''This is so scary, I'm getting goosebumps while reading your complaint letter.'' Another commented, ''Omg hope you're doing okay now, this exact thing happened to me a few months back and I got out after it wasn't showing on the app that I'd gotten in the cab.''
A third wrote, ''What a sad situation for us! Be on the lookout constantly. Is there never a time to unwind and feel safe while driving home after a long day of travelling?'' A fourth said, ''He should be punished severely and should be set as an example for all culprits.
Yet another added, ''@BLRAirport must ensure the safety of passengers, the airport is far away from the city and is quite isolated. This could have been very serious.''
Similar incidents have been reported in Bengaluru, where women have faced harassment or threatening behaviour from cab or auto drivers. There's also been a reported cab scam targeting women, particularly at the airport, involving drivers from platforms like Ola and Uber.