"Raised Hand To Slap": Gurugram Woman On Harrowing Experience With Ola Driver

A Gurugram resident recently had a terrifying experience during an Ola ride, raising serious concerns about customer safety. Puja S was en route to the Delhi airport for an early morning flight when the alleged incident occurred.

Narrating the incident on LinkedIn, Puja shared that to ensure she got a cab quickly, she booked rides with both Ola and Rapido, ultimately choosing Ola due to her trust in the company. However, just 10 minutes into the ride, the driver stopped to fill his bottles and then claimed the vehicle wouldn't start unless she made a payment via a QR code. Puja insisted on ending the ride first to confirm the final amount, but the driver allegedly demanded payment upfront and threatened her when she refused, even raising his hand as if to slap her, saying, "I'll hit you so hard."

"The driver became increasingly aggressive, speaking in Haryanvi and even making threats, stating, 'I'll come back at night and show you what happens.'" she wrote on LinkedIn.

Despite Puja's efforts to stay calm, the driver continued to yell and allegedly began recording a video without her consent. 

Eventually, Puja managed to book another cab and safely made her way to the airport. She expressed her gratitude to the second driver for picking her up mid-way and ensuring she arrived at the airport in time for her flight, even paying him a little extra as a gesture of appreciation for his behaviour.

Puja has stated that she plans to take legal action regarding the incident.

Reacting to the viral, a user shared a similar instance with an Ola driver, "This is seriously concerning! I have recently been having issues with Ola myself. Because of their new "popular fare" policy which shows a range of fare rather than a definitive fare, I've had 2 encounters where drivers demanded the higher value on the range and on me refusing to do so, they got verbally abusive. They also demand the fare before stopping at the destination to intimidate you into paying them whatever they ask, and it really tends to put you in a fearful and unsafe position. Since then, I've sweared off of booking rides through Ola. Never booking an Ola ride again, but I'm glad someone is speaking about this so that corrective action can be taken."

"This is so sad, you should put out his number in public & this person should bear the consequences so that he learns to never behave like this again," another user suggested.

"I once had a similar incidence but it's not as intense as yours. It was the Rapido driver who started verbally abusing me as I refused to pay extra money. However, Rapido has an emergency call option to report any such inconveniences (not sure if Ola has the same). And, in my experience with Rapido, the Customer Support sounds way too reliable and quicker in actions," shared the third user.