New Delhi: An Instagram creator’s criticism of Rapido’s women-only Pink ride service has gone viral after she alleged that a male captain was assigned to her booking despite the service being marketed as a facility with female captains.
Creator Shalini Chaturvedi shared her experience in an Instagram reel that has received more than 15,000 likes. She claimed she had specifically selected the Rapido Pink service but received a call from a male driver after the booking was confirmed.
The incident has triggered a wider discussion on safety checks and verification mechanisms on app-based ride-hailing platforms.
Creator questions Pink ride assignment
In the video, Chaturvedi said she booked a Rapido Pink ride expecting a female captain.
“I booked the Rapido Pink service today and the rider calls me. This is a man speaking,” she said.
According to Chaturvedi, she told the driver that she had booked the Pink service specifically because she expected a female captain. She alleged that the man responded by saying that he was gay.
Chaturvedi said she immediately decided not to proceed with the ride and cancelled the booking.
She claimed the app showed a cancellation charge of Rs 15, even though the fare for the ride would have been around Rs 25.
The creator also alleged that the profile photograph displayed on the app appeared to belong to a woman, while a man arrived at the pickup location.
Creator raises safety concerns
Chaturvedi said she was particularly concerned because the person assigned to the ride had reached her pickup location and had seen her.
“And there is a man in front of me. Now this man has seen my face. He knows which building I live in. And I cannot even do anything,” she said.
She criticised the platform’s handling of the situation and questioned whether women-only services could provide the level of safety users expect from them.
In the caption accompanying her reel, Chaturvedi also criticised what she described as a lack of adequate protection despite the additional cost associated with the service.
The allegations made by the creator relate to her individual experience and have not independently established whether the driver’s account or vehicle verification process was bypassed in the manner alleged.
Rapido apologises, begins investigation
Rapido responded to the viral post and apologised for the experience.
The company said Pink rides are specifically intended to be assigned to female captains and that it would investigate how a male captain was assigned to the booking.
Rapido also said it would examine the driver’s conduct and review the cancellation fee charged to the passenger.
According to the company, a cancellation charge should not have been imposed in the circumstances described by the creator.
Rapido asked Chaturvedi to share her registered mobile number and ride ID through direct message so that the matter could be investigated on priority.
Captain’s account terminated
In a subsequent update on Instagram, Chaturvedi said Rapido initially informed her that the captain would receive a warning, with stricter action to follow if a similar incident occurred again.
She said this response was not satisfactory because she alleged that the man had accessed the Pink service using the profile photograph of a female relative.
Chaturvedi said she subsequently raised the matter with the company and Rapido revisited the issue.
According to her update, Rapido ultimately terminated the captain’s ID from the platform and shared proof of the termination with her.
The creator described the action as a satisfactory resolution to her complaint.
Incident sparks online debate
The episode has also prompted discussions among social media users about accountability and quality control on ride-hailing platforms.
Some users shared similar experiences involving discrepancies between the driver details displayed on an app and the person or vehicle arriving at the pickup point.
Others questioned the extent of responsibility ride-hailing companies should assume for driver verification, vehicle compliance and enforcement of platform rules.
One commenter alleged that issues including rash driving, poorly maintained vehicles and demands for additional payments were indicative of broader quality-control concerns on ride-hailing platforms.
The debate has brought renewed attention to the importance of accurate driver identification and verification, particularly for services designed specifically around passenger safety.
Rapido’s investigation and the action against the captain involved in the incident, as described by Chaturvedi, have provided a response to the individual complaint, while questions around verification and enforcement remain part of the wider online discussion.