A woman recently shared her horrific experience with Ola Cabs on LinkedIn, highlighting serious safety issues. The incident, which took place around 1:30 pm on December 20 while people were on their way to Gurgaon, has raised questions about the ride-hailing service’s safety measures, especially for women. Genpact senior manager Shazia A explained in a LinkedIn post that the driver suddenly slowed down near the National Media Center after crossing a toll plaza. She noticed two men ahead of her signaling the driver to stop, and to her shock, the driver obeyed and stopped.
When she asked the driver why he stopped, he didn’t answer. The situation became even more alarming when two more men joined in, making the total number five including the driver. The driver mentioned an unpaid loan installment that scared her. To ensure her own safety, she quickly left the taxi.
“Feeling unsafe, I opened the door on the right and ran for my life. It was a horrific experience and I can’t explain how scared I was,” Shazia wrote in her post.
She also said that when she tried to use the Ola app during the incident, the SOS button on the app did not work. Subsequently, Shazia complained to Ola customer service, but said that it had been more than 24 hours and there was no response from the company.
In her post, she urged Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal to address the issue and ensure passenger safety is the top priority. “Ola’s lack of responsibility and urgency is shocking and disappointing. Passenger safety is not just an add-on feature, it is a fundamental responsibility,” she wrote.
People ask for passenger safety
Her post attracted widespread attention on LinkedIn, with many users expressing shock and sharing similar experiences. Some urged immediate steps to improve passenger safety.
One user commented: “It’s really scary when the SOS button doesn’t work.” Another criticized the driver’s behavior: “The driver should take responsibility and contact Ola support to arrange another taxi while ensuring Your safety. Bhavish Aggarwal, please take action to prevent such incidents and protect passengers.”