Early on Sunday morning, a woman in Bengaluru recounted a harrowing experience where she was threatened and verbally assaulted by a Namma Yatri auto driver. The incident unfolded around 4 am as she, accompanied by two friends and a child, was returning home from a friend’s place.
In a post on X, Vanshita Agarwal described the frightening ordeal, stating, “I had the most unsafe & scary auto ride of my life @nammayatri. Your driver threatened us, called us derogatory names & started approaching us aggressively as if he would harm us. The SOS feature was of no help; they briefly listened to our plea and disconnected the call.”
The altercation began over a fare dispute displayed on the app, with the driver insisting the amount was too low. When the women insisted on paying the fare shown on the app, the driver reportedly became enraged, shouting and verbally abusing them.
“He started hurling curses at us and we were terrified, so we headed towards our building’s main gate to seek help from the security guard. He followed us and continued yelling louder and louder. That’s when we activated the SOS feature in the app and also contacted the police,” Agarwal wrote.
“He demanded my phone, saying he wanted to speak to someone. I refused out of fear for our safety. He then approached even closer, and I warned him not to enter the gate or I would call my dad,” she added.
Agarwal later tagged Bengaluru City Police and Traffic Police on social media, seeking guidance on handling situations where the SOS feature fails to offer assistance.
“What should one do in such situations? The SOS on the app doesn’t work, and even the 112 helpline executives clearly DO NOT CARE. We were on a call with them in such a panic state, and they have not even followed up to check if we’re safe!” she posted.
had the most unsafe & scary auto ride of my life @nammayatri
your driver threatened us, called us ‘chutiya’ and ‘madarchod’ & started coming close to us almost as if he would hit us
SOS is of hardly any use, they listened to our plea & just disconnected the call
— Vanshita (@yourswriterly) July 20, 2024
“We couldn’t record him because we were too scared of his potential reaction. However, during his verbal assault, I managed to capture a brief video clip showing his face. I want this man to face consequences for what he put us through today,” Agarwal further stated.
Responding to the thread, ride-hailing app Namma Yatri expressed regret over the incident, stating, “Hi Vanshita, We are deeply sorry to hear about your experience. At Namma Yatri, we prioritize safety and take such concerns seriously. Thank you for sharing the details. Please allow us some time to investigate and respond to you.”
The incident also drew the attention of Alok Kumar, ADGP for Training, Traffic and Road Safety, who advised, “Please lodge a complaint with the nearest Police Station. Action will be taken based on the facts of the incident. If there are any issues, please let us know. @BlrCityPolice.”
Numerous social media users reacted to Agarwal’s post, expressing concern with comments like, “This is alarming” and “Hope you’re safe.”
Bengaluru has been grappling with issues involving rogue auto drivers, including incidents of overcharging and mistreatment of passengers. However, contrasting incidents, such as an Uber driver in Bengaluru recently helping Sindhu Gangadharan, the vice-chairperson of NASSCOM, reach the airport on time after her car broke down, have also gained attention for their positive impact.
