Ola auto driver slap row: Bengaluru women share wave of similar complaints | Bengaluru News – Times of India

BENGALURU: Tuesday’s incident has prompted several women passengers to recount their similar experiences. Many that TOI spoke with said drivers have been exceptionally rude to them and frequently demand extra money.
“Three months ago, around 10pm, I was going from Koramangala to Marathahalli for which I booked an auto. After reaching the underpass in Marathahalli, he started complaining about how bad the traffic was, and it lasted more than 15 minutes.After that, he asked me to get down, saying it was too much traffic and I had to pay an extra Rs 50 to Rs 100 if I wanted to continue my trip, which I refused,” a 27-year-old working professional said.
“He began yelling continuously and it reached a stage where I had no choice but to get down. My place was 10 minutes away…. I walked and it was 11 already, but luckily I got an auto, even though that guy asked me to pay extra. No one knows how scared I was during that 30-minute period,” she recounted.
Gowri, 21, a BA student, had booked an auto to a mall in Rajajinagar. “He took a very long way and refused to take the route which the app had shown, citing traffic congestion. The guy ended up asking for more money and refused to leave. I got scared a bit and ended up paying double for my trip. Later, I filed a complaint with the app, but no action was taken.”
A 26-year-old working professional shared what she went through after booking autos on two apps from her office in Ragigudda and cancelling one of them in June this year. “The driver of the cancelled ride rushed menacingly towards me and asked whether it was me who had cancelled it. I refused as he was glaring at me. The next second, I asked the auto in which I was sitting to start the vehicle but this driver too started yelling at me.”
Smriti, a 23-year-old IT employee, said that last month, she got yelled at over UPI payment. “I told the duto driver I didn’t have cash and would pay through UPI, and his tone changed instantly. He started yelling at me, abusing me for wasting his time. I felt so helpless and unsafe in that moment.”
Unions denounce driver’s behaviour
Nataraja Sharma, president of the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations, denounced the auto driver’s actions, stating, “If the auto driver had any issues with cancellation of the ride, he should have approached the aggregator seeking monetary compensation. Resorting to such behaviour is totally unacceptable.”
M Manjunath, president of Adarsh Auto Drivers Union, said, “Passengers cancelling rides after auto drivers reach the pickup point happens very often, but that should not trigger the driver to assault the passenger…”