The techie from Bengaluru complained that an Ola driver slapped her on the face The woman had booked the taxi to travel from Lulu Mall to Panampilly Nagar on July 4 The driver became arrogant after he knew that the passenger was paying as Ola money and not cash Ola has also released a statement in this regard
In a shocking incident, an online taxi driver abused a woman and slapped her on face after the passenger was not able to make the payment in cash. The incident took place in Kochi on Wednesday, and the service providers suspended the driver after the woman filed a complaint.
Though online taxis have become quite popular in Kerala, not many cases were reported of taxi drivers misbehaving with women. Last day, a techie from Bengaluru filed a complained against an Ola driver after he slapped her on the face.
Aveta Thampatty had booked the cab to travel from Lulu Mall to Panampilly Nagar on July 4. The booking was made at 8.43 pm. On reaching destination K B Binu, the driver asked her to make the payment as cash. Thampatty had already filled her Ola wallet for making payment and informed the same to the driver, but he started accusing her and slapped her on the face.
The passenger shared her experience on Facebook stating that 'Kerala is very unsafe to travel.'
On receiving complaint Ola cab suspended the driver.
The company has also released an official statement with regards to the incident.
“We regret the experience that the customer had to go through during the ride. We have zero-tolerance for such behaviour and have suspended the driver. We have extended full support to the customer to pursue this issue with the relevant authorities.
"Safety of customers is our topmost priority. We have several in-app features and programs in place to ensure a safe and convenient mobility experience for customers. The Ola app is equipped with an SOS button, LIVE GPS tracking to share ride information, mobile number masking, and feedback on ride quality with ratings on ride completion, amongst other features. All of this enables a consistent experience for users. In case of an emergency, customers can also, reach out to Ola's 24x7 helpline, directly from the app."
