A Bengaluru resident, Pawan Kumar, shared a distressing experience with an Ola auto driver on X (formerly Twitter), leading to the driver’s suspension and a refund from the company. Kumar recounted booking an Ola ride from Brookfield to Koramangala with a stop at Mahadevapura. Although the app quoted ₹292, the driver demanded ₹455 upon arrival, insisting the app was wrong and threatening Kumar.
When Kumar called the police and recorded the incident, the driver changed his story, claiming he used the meter. The police, speaking in Kannada with the driver, advised Kumar to pay ₹350, citing the driver’s financial situation, and asked him to delete the recording. Despite the threats from the driver, the police let him go.
Kumar expressed his disappointment on X, questioning the handling of the situation by the police and Ola’s support. His post quickly went viral, garnering over 6,26,600 views and more than 4,500 likes. Ola responded, requesting details to investigate the issue. The Bengaluru City Police also requested Kumar’s contact information to address the complaint.
Later, Kumar updated that the driver admitted his mistake and was suspended by Ola, which also issued a refund for the extra charges. However, Ola requested Kumar to delete his posts, which he declined. The incident sparked mixed reactions online, with some users criticizing Kumar for escalating the issue over ₹150, while others shared similar experiences and advised on handling such situations.