Bengaluru, Jan 6: Cab aggregators are once again in news for the wrong reasons after an Ola cab driver misbehaved with a 34-year-old woman passenger and even threatened to kill her when she raised an alarm.
But what followed was worse. The woman, a software engineer, immediately called the Ola emergency number following which they asked her to check if the driver was drunk. She later pressed the emergency button on the Ola app but received a message asking her to dial 100. After the aggregator failed to help her, she said she was lucky to be saved by the public.
Reacting to the incident, an Ola spokesperson said, “We regret the unfortunate incident and have immediately terminated the driver-partner from the platform upon receiving the complaint.”
Shruthi G (name changed), an employee at a software company at Bagmane Tech Park in Mahadevapura, booked an Ola cab after her work in the evening of January 3. She booked pick-up stops at two locations as she had to pick her four-year-old daughter from the day-care centre, which is 2 km away from her house.
However, around 6.22 pm, when the cab reached Malleshpalya near Kids Castle, the driver did not stop the vehicle. He asked her to get down at the last drop location. She told him to stop and tried to open the doors but he locked the doors, insisting that she sit in the car. When she resisted, he held her hands and abused her; he even threatened to kill her if she raised an alarm.
The victim said she pressed the emergency button on the app twice but only got a message advising her to call the police.
When she called the Ola emergency number, the person at the other end asked about her condition and to check whether the driver was drunk. They called back after one-and-a-half hours when she was filing a complaint at the police station.
“Ola did not make any efforts to reach out to the police or do anything to track my location and help me in that situation,” she said.
The victim called 100 and the staffer at the control room asked her which area she was in. Since she was familiar with the area, Shruthi was able to give her location.
“First they told me that the area comes under Baiyappanahalli. Later, they said it comes under HAL. Finally, they figured out the location. It took 20 minutes for the police to reach the spot,” she said.
What saved Shruti was her sheer instinct and luck. Alone in the cab, she started raising an alarm. Luckily, commuters in the other vehicles next to the cab noticed her screaming for help and stopped the driver.
“If this is the kind of security Ola provides its customer, it is very questionable,” she said. “If we have to really call the police during an emergency then why they put out the number and emergency button, it’s a waste of time during that crucial situation. If they directly told us to dial 100 during an emergency, it will save time. Lakhs of commuters take Ola cabs thinking it is safe but they have no mechanism to check their drivers and track their customers in danger.”
Baiyappanahalli police said the accused Bhimashankar Malged was arrested and remanded in judicial custody following the complaint.
In a release issued here, he said that some people were spreading false messages regarding the functioning of customs, immigration, security and airlines at the airport. But all operations were running smoothly, he said.
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NOT AT ALL WELL ... if someone want to experience the Truth then just Go to Mangalore Airport and see how they treat Burka and Beard Clad commuter, and the Emigration and CISF / Security personnel attitude which is very pathetic and too bad and sometime they make their Security DOG to snip the luggage and also sometime snip the said passenger.
you find lots of discriminate and bias right from luggage porters to the Emigration personnel...
....
I have seen officials at Mangalore Airport abusing Muslim men and women (Kerala) arriving from Gulf. If it is not for their hard earned money of these young men and women working in Gulf and spending in India. India would have become another Somalia.
Guys it is time to hit them were it hurts their wallet. Soon you guys can fly to Kannur Airport until then fly Cochin International Airport or Bombay International Airport ( they have improved their customer service) You have the power to stop the abuse...
Dear Airport Director,
Please install CC camera on each and every counter and all the places, then you will realize that your these INNOCENT staff's rude behaviour. They are making problems only for one community and blind for others. Please treat us also Indian, we are not from any other country. Please ask your people to behave with us atleast we are humans and we do have our self-respect. Hope you could do this. Tnx.
Bribery is very common in customs
All is not well,
I will share my experience when I traveled from Mangalore to Dammam.
We were 3 friends together travelling, along with us there was a guy travelling first time to KSA. One of my known friend told me that to take care & help his relative because he is first time to Saudi. We started together & we 4 got boarding pass. Then we 3 finished emigration check & 4th one was new guy, emigration staff didn't process his emigration work, I was waiting for him to come for 10 min. Then I went back to emigration counter & asked what is the problem. And our conversation was like below
Emigration staff :new guy was mentioned his profession as driver in the form.
Me : what is the problem with that ?
Emigration Staff : he don't have Indian driving license
Me : so what ?
Emigration Staff : Without Indian driving license how he will work in Saudi, I wont allow him to travel
Me : with Indian driving license he cannot drive in Saudi, he has to get Saudi license to drive
Emigration staff : no way
Me : Pls allow him,
Emigration staff : no way, you go away or give me your passport I will fix you the case against you
Then I left from & another guy from our group went & same conversation happened with them.
Flight was ready to take off, we are waiting for him, at last minute he came. He told us Emigration staff was demanding for money about 10,000 rupees, he had only 1,000 rupees & he gave him.
First thing to do is terminating Radhakrishna is the best solution & Emigration, custom staffs.
I request the authorities please donot be partial to one community. Donot give communal colour to customs checking atleast. Of course we love our city and would like to travel via mangaluru only. As you said we rely on your words. Kindly do the needful assistance for the travellers
I traveled many times from Dammam to mangalore I want to share my experience here tooo please airport authority take seriously ..
when we go to the immigration line .. there is one guy for stamping go out he behaves like we are coming from central jail .. he treats us like we are his slave and he behaves like a boss
asking wen u came last time y u r coming every 6 month this is none of his business his job is once we reach there check in his pc if the passport is matching to indian authority
after that wen I went to collect language realy very bad asking wt is that wt is this they are sreening if they have doubt they have to open and tie it properly and give back if any muslim ladies looking for gold wt they wear ...
but mom muslim men if he wear chain no question....
soon kannur airport is going to open.. then mangalore will learn soon..
Mumbai airport is better then mangalore as by my experience because I dnt want o say everyone need to take their own experience as specially muslim...
All is not well, CBI should inquire about this situation....harassing innocent people is not at all acceptable....custom officers have different kind policy towards Muslims....even if they carry authorized amount of gold still they check every parts of body....it is obnoxious...should not be allowed....it is better airport director come and see what is going on around at the time of arrival and till all passengers left from airport....
Ibrahim Hussain Udupi, CISF personnel are not kept for communicating in local languages but to look after the security of the Airport and us. It is very good that they have not kept local personnel. The immigration officers have to ask the new recruits many questions as there is lot of fraud visas being issued and they turn up at the Gulf countries and have to be put in jail or have to be deported back (many cases in the papers) for which I think you do not contribute (you would have know if you had contributed). Why bring religion into this as we know that educated Muslims are not targeted as myself and my family members have not faced any such questions in any of the Airports in India. I have flown out of Mumbai, Bengaluru,Delhi, Kochi, Calicut. How come you were scared to request muslims to stand against the comment of the MP from North Kanara but jump to comment on this subject. Do not be selective in standing up to issues of muslims. We do not require support who have double standards and double speak.
There must be some problem. Otherwise, the passengers would not have expressed their anger over social media.
The main reason for this is, losing faith in system or with the concerned authorities. They are still not sure that the authorities will help them for their smooth travel.
1st thing we need to understand that, all those who travel trough the airport are not smugglers or thieves. Yes security should be tightened but should not look at them with some prejudice. And the truth is that, smugglers keep very good relationship with the airport authorities and they will make sure that, they have hassle free travel. No question of religion/caste/creed comes here.
What the Director should do now is that, instead of wasting the time with media persons, Call the entire Airport staff and give them an excellent 2 day customer service training, So that, they will learn how to deal with the passengers who spend a lot and come there. And ofcourse , as you know the long journey in flight is really tiring for most of them.
Most of the complaints read and read, looks sending Free of cost 'WHATS APP\ really most of the Patience gone out of order, very, simple example to say After long struggling at least we Mangaloreans got International Airport, which we passengers or Public using a lot by Mr Ibrahim Hussian's community is saying nonsense, Language, The question to Him Why Your speaks, not Joining this Job?? you are always Job less Job Likers!!!!! at least wake up, and 99% of Gold Smugglers in your Great Group Mr Ibrahim, Question in Emigration is required getting afraid baseless, sure Uneducated cannot understand then complaining????.
Be perfect first then look others man!!!!
Jai Hindustan
Jai Siddaramanna
Jai Radhakrishna."
As far as my experience is concerned, I don't have much concerns about the security checking. But, in terms of maintenance, the authorities need to pay attention. Here, I would like to share my experience;
Few days back when I had to travel via Mangalore Airport, I was desperately searching for a dustbin to throw a coffee cup. I was running from counter to counter for at least three places thinking that the Emigration officers might have such an arrangement to throw a waste paper. Unfortunately I didn't find anything. Finally I was directed towards restroom.
I just wonder why Airport Authority of India fails to meet a traveler's basic needs despite being collecting huge amount in the name of airport maintenance.
look at the below fare details in rupees for a ticket from Kuwait to Mangalore;
Economy class Air fare 2000
Fuel Surcharge 5233
user Development Fee 856
passenger Service Fee 237
Passenger Service Charge 74
Development Charge 300
Total 8700
Now, my fellow CD readers have to tell; Are we enjoying the equal benefits for what we pay? Most of them might have traveled through Mangalore Airport. For me, All's not well these!
There are lots of ambiguity in Mangalore Airport. The CISF personnel are from north India, except Hindi they cannot speak no other languages. Their attitude in security checks at the departure is horrible. Insulting passengers specially aged people deplorable. At Immigration counter at departure, they ask many questions to the new recruits where they were harassed without any faults. For Muslim passengers there is double standard in immigration and security checks as they treat very badly.
Recently, during my travel back from Saudi Arabia, a Muslim girl was detained for several questions at customs check. She was so afraid of these customs officials. Later she was allowed to walk free. I think and propose Mr. Radhakrishna, must have a look at these counters solving agony of the passengers. The NRI's coming from the gulf countries are not thieves or smugglers. They work hard and bring lots of foreign exchange to the nation that cannot be ignored. To their contribution to the country, in return they do get no facility example is recent budget. From their earnings thousands of families living with peaceful life. Comparing to Mangalore airport, Mumbai airport is better these days for international passengers, only the problem is transit for Mangaloreans.
Because of problems only now most of the Gulf passengers like to travel via Bombay airport. They don't like to travel FROM Mangalore Airport directly. Who said don't have problem???
Dear Sir, are you sure that people will get help???
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