In Bengaluru, a Rapido bike taxi driver allegedly harassed a female passenger during a ride home. Netizens have shared safety tips and advice, urging passengers to stay cautious, report incidents to the platform, and take personal safety measures.
Bengaluru: An alarming incident in Bengaluru has raised concerns about the safety of women using bike taxi services. While these platforms provide quick and convenient transport, isolated cases of harassment remind passengers to stay cautious and aware of their surroundings during rides.
About the Incident
In a troubling incident in Bengaluru, a Rapido bike taxi driver allegedly harassed a female passenger during a ride home. The passenger’s boyfriend recounted that after she booked the ride, the driver began asking personal and inappropriate questions, including whether she had ever had sex and questions about their caste and relationship intentions. She texted her boyfriend during the ride, expressing discomfort and fear.
When it came time to pay, she didn’t have exact change, so the driver provided his personal number for payment. Her boyfriend later paid using that number and now possesses the driver’s vehicle details. The incident has left the passenger anxious, as the driver potentially knows her residence.
User Advice on Reporting and Safety
Several users responded with advice based on personal experiences:
“A complaint of harassment to police ideally is supposed to be best. But in India, bribe and police go hand in hand so no use. Next best is to make the incident famous so Rapido is forced to take action and police (may take interest) but putting things online will not affect ur gf directly but the guy knows her house so she or the residents may be harassed.”’
“Just a complaint in Rapido is not much effective (in my personal opinion). Bro, unless you have recorded conversation or video of the incident, no use pursuing this with Police/legally. It’s your word against his. You can raise a complaint on the app. If enough people raise similar complaints, Rapido might take action.”
“Its best for women to avoid the bike taxis cuz of such reasons. And wearing a facecover or mask while travelling on them so their identity is ambiguous. Anyway try reporting the issue to Rapido and collect whatever evidence you have in the meanwhile in case you decide to file a formal complaint. Go with another person too and her to the station if it comes to that. Ideally if such interactions take place its best to stop the vehicle and get out immediately.”
“The last time I faced this situation, I immediately reported it to Rapido and then they told me they’d leave him with a warning since it’s the first time but I told them very clearly that if they did not take a strict action, I’d myself go to the police. The Rapido support team then called me and fired him for the whole situation. Of course me and my friends were very worried cause he knew where I stay, the next few days I only booked autos from my place, shared location with my friends every time I left my place and carried a small pepper spray in my bag every time I left.”
“Bro I work as a Rapido driver and there are always people who have bad intentions so if any girl is booking the ride or you are booking for a girl make sure toh never put the exact address just give them the nearby address and ask them to stop early and you should definitely file a report to the police.”
Reporting and Next Steps
The couple has reportedly raised a complaint with Rapido, and the company’s response is pending. Users recommend collecting evidence, reporting the incident to the platform, and taking precautions such as sharing live location, traveling in groups, or carrying self-defense tools like pepper spray.
The incident highlights the risks women can face while using ride-hailing or bike taxi services in India and underscores the importance of both platform accountability and personal safety measures.