Tanisha Mallya, a resident of Bengaluru, recounted a distressing incident involving an Ola auto driver who allegedly demanded extra money beyond the final fare displayed on the app. In a post on X, she detailed how the fare for her approximately 25km journey was estimated between Rs. 347-356, but upon reaching her destination, the driver insisted on Rs. 470, claiming to have driven over 45km.
I had a very harrowing and unsettling experience with my @Olacabs booking today in Bangalore
I had booked an Ola Auto which showed a fare range of Rs 347-356 for a ~25km journey(adding the rest as a thread of tweets below)
— Tanisha Mallya (@tanisha_mallya) July 10, 2024
According to Mallya, the situation escalated when she refused to pay the additional amount, prompting the driver to shout and use abusive language towards her. She stated, “When I argued that he should take up the issue with Ola and not me, he exited the vehicle, verbally abused me, and threatened to leave me where he had picked me up.” Despite paying Rs. 356 and attempting to enter her apartment complex, Mallya alleged that the driver continued to create a scene and hurl more insults at her.
Mallya expressed frustration over her inability to reach Ola’s customer support for assistance during the ordeal. She mentioned that her father intervened to help her escape the situation. She wrote, “I am fortunate to live with my family, and my father came to my rescue. However, when I informed the driver that I would report his behavior, he approached me aggressively and accused me of lying.”
I was lucky that I lived w family & my father could come to step in & yet when I mentioned that he was cursing at me, he stepped closer to me & started screaming in my face that I was lying
— Tanisha Mallya (@tanisha_mallya) July 10, 2024
After sharing her experience online, Mallya received responses from other users who claimed similar issues with ride-hailing apps, where initially quoted fares did not match the amounts demanded by drivers upon completing journeys.
In response to Mallya’s tweet, the Bengaluru police urged her to contact them for further action regarding the incident.