Private firm CEO says Ola cabbie harassed her in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The alternative route to the Kempegowda International Airport used by cab drivers to avoid toll charges is proving risky for passengers, especially women at night. “The alternative route is located just behind the main road but lacks safety issues like streetlights. After 11pm, the number of vehicles are fewer,” cops said.
In yet another incident of this nature, a Mumbai-based Chief Executive Officer of a private company accused a driver of app-based cab aggregator Ola of harassing her during a ride around 11.30pm Monday.After she tweeted about her problem, an Ola spokesperson said they suspended the driver and investigating the matter. Police said they haven’t received any complaint but are looking into it anyway.
She tweeted that she flew into Bengaluru on an official visit and took an Ola cab. “After a while, the cab entered a route without proper lighting and with no vehicles. Then I saw the tab screen and found that the driver was not driving in the specified road. When asked, the driver replied saying he did so to avoid the toll gate. I requested him to return back to the navigated road but he did not and spoke arrogantly instead. Then I pressed the emergency button and Ola people called me,” she said.
After she explained the problem, Ola staff directed the driver to return to the main road. “They disconnected the call soon after the driver returned to the road,” she said.
But the driver stopped the vehicle in a dimly lit area and started talking on his phone. “I imagined he was calling his friends and fearing, I again pressed the emergency button which did not work due to a bad signal. Then I dialled the police control room and the cops asked where I was. Since I am new to the city, I could not tell them. Then I got connected to Ola staff again,” she said.
Her battery was low and Ola staff asked her to take the driver’s cellphone and keep the speaker on. “They directed the driver to head to the location without stopping,” she wrote.
An Ola spokesperson told TOI they had followed all rules and precautionary measures to ensure the passenger’s safety. “It is true that the cab driver took a deviation to save toll money. But we made sure he returned to the main road. He felt he should inform police about the incident and stopped near a police station but the passenger misunderstood him and called us again. We directed the driver to hand over his phone to her until the vehicle reaches the location. We also kept talking to the passenger throughout the journey. She was unhappy that we did not fire the driver immediately. After holding preliminary investigation, we suspended the driver,” the spokesperson said.