A regular Uber ride in Guwahati turned into a nightmare for Maini Mahanta, which has left the former shaken and hospitalised. Such an incident further raises serious questions about the safety of passengers in app-based cab services.
AC Request Sparks Conflict
Mahanta booked an Uber Premier ride and requested the driver to turn on the air conditioning because of her dust allergy. The driver refused, saying that her booking didn‘t include AC and suggested she leave the vehicle if she wanted air conditioning.
The driver, apparently, stopped the car in an isolated road, orally abused Mahanta and attempted to handle her man, and finally forced her to get out of the car. Being alone in that desolate stretch of late night, Mahanta, fearing her safety, rang for help.
FIR Filed, Authorities Take Action
Mahanta later approached the Dispur Police Station and lodged an FIR along with narrating her harrowing experience. “I was so traumatised that I had to be hospitalised,” she said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma acted swiftly and sought the immediate action of state police.
Similar Incident in Gurugram Highlights Broader Concerns
This is not a singular case. Just about two weeks ago, in Gurugram, an Uber woman passenger received the chilling message from her ride’s driver before boarding stating, “Go to Anand Vihar. I want to go to kidnap you happily.” That scared the woman to bits and ignited a debate in public over passenger safety issues of ride-hailing services.
Call for Stricter Safety Measures
These incidents have renewed demands for tighter regulations and better safety measures in app-based cab services. Passengers and the authorities are demanding companies to take care of their customers by conducting better background checks on drivers and setting up better emergency response mechanisms.
Uber has not yet released an official statement regarding the two incidents. Meanwhile, the public waits for some action that will ensure that such incidents do not occur again in the future.
