Bengaluru woman alleges harassment by Ola driver over fare discrepancy
A woman in Bengaluru, Tanisha Mallya, has alleged that she was verbally abused and harassed by an Ola Auto driver over fare. Sharing her alleged ordeal on X, Mallya wrote that she booked the auto for a 25-kilometer journey, with the app showing a fare range of ₹347-356. However, upon arrival at her destination, the driver demanded ₹470, claiming he had driven over 45km. According to her, this demand was made despite both their apps displaying the initial fare estimate.
Driver's harassment continues despite payment of correct fare
"When I stood my ground about paying him ₹356 which the app clearly showed on both his and my phone, he started shouting at me to pay him the amount he was asking for because 'Ola shouldn't show such a low price,'" Mallya wrote. Even after she paid the correct fare, the driver continued his verbal abuse. Since Mallya lived with her parents, his father attempted to intervene but was unable to placate the driver, who accused Mallya of lying.
Read her thread here
Ola's lack of response adds to passenger's distress
Mallya also alleged that she received no assistance from Ola. "This is a deeply shocking situation and I have not been able to get any support from @Olacabs so far, not even a chance to speak to their customer care," she tweeted. Later, Mallya discovered that Ola had implemented a new fare system based on meter trends which might have caused the fare discrepancy.
Mallya urges Ola to address fare discrepancy issue
Mallya expressed concern over the potential danger this lack of clarity could pose to other passengers, particularly women who might not speak Kannada or live alone. Adding to her distress, Mallya found she couldn't access the driver's details or vehicle number in her Ola history to file a complaint, only having the CRN number. The Bengaluru Police has reached out to Mallya asking for specific area details and her contact number.
