Every time we, as women, use any third-party app like Ola, Uber, or Rapido to travel from one place to another—be an auto, a bike, or a prime luxury cab—safety is always a concern. A shocking incident from Bengaluru once again sheds light on how compromised women's safety is in India.
Rapido enables sexual predators. Do not use Rapido.
One of my friends got sexually assaulted last night by a @rapidobikeapp auto driver. She was touched inappropriately and when she pushed back, she was thrown out of a moving auto.
She reached out to Rapido to resolve this and…
The ride-hailing app Rapido, after the tweet, did reply to Ankur. "Rapido is getting the captain to the HAL police station at 4.30 pm to proceed legally on this," said Rapido.
Rapido also said that they were willing to give legal support on this.
Bengaluru City Police also reached out to Ankur and asked him to provide specific area details of the incident.
Now, here's the thing. Even though Rapido has promised to take the required action, and has said that the driver has been fired, these incidents are not new.
(Trigger Warning: Mentions of sexual harassment)
Thread 🧵#SexualHarassement
Today, I went for the Manipur Violence protest at Town Hall Bangalore and booked a @rapidobikeapp auto for my way back home. However, multiple auto cancellations led me to opt for a bike instead. pic.twitter.com/bQkw4i7NvO
I’m a student journalist at @ACJIndia, Chennai.
An @Uber Auto driver named Selvam ,sexually assaulted me by pressing my right breast, near Ibis OMR Hotel, when my friend and I returned from East Coast Madras to the hotel.@PoliceTamilnadu pic.twitter.com/jJMhx4zk5j
READ MORE: Are you also struggling to book an Ola or Uber cab in Delhi NCR? Here's why
Now, it is not just Bengaluru or Rapido. These incidents are far more common than you think, and sometimes the abuse is not only physical but also mental.
DailyO spoke to some of them.
Sejal Agarwal*, a 24-year-old journalist, shared a horrible incident where the Rapido bike driver insisted she make him her "brother".
The events unfolded when Sejal took a bike to her home in Delhi, and her Rapido driver took her by surprise by not only asking personal questions but asking her to recite the Hanuman Chalisa for him.
She said, "He asked me why was I working," and that a girl like me "shouldn't go to work".
She further stated that the Rapido driver went on about how in his family, no women are allowed to work, and that she should not also work.
Stuti Sharma*, another student from Bengaluru, narrates an incident that happened to her 2 years ago. According to her, while she took an Ola auto, the driver took an unknown route and stopped in the middle of nowhere to sit and chat with his friends.
Later, she noticed that the driver was not only smoking but was also drinking at that time.
"I was very scared, and I could not understand what to do, so I ran away from that place without looking back," says Stuti.
(*names changed on request)
Now, here are some steps that you can follow to ensure your safety:
READ MORE: Indian women aren't safe in Uber. How a trip scarred me for life
Bengaluru Rapido case is chilling reminder of how unsafe women are on ride-hailing apps
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01.12.2023
Every time we, as women, use any third-party app like Ola, Uber, or Rapido to travel from one place to another—be an auto, a bike, or a prime luxury cab—safety is always a concern. A shocking incident from Bengaluru once again sheds light on how compromised women's safety is in India.
Rapido enables sexual predators. Do not use Rapido.
One of my friends got sexually assaulted last night by a @rapidobikeapp auto driver. She was touched inappropriately and when she pushed back, she was thrown out of a moving auto.
She reached out to Rapido to resolve this and…
The ride-hailing app Rapido, after the tweet, did reply to Ankur. "Rapido is getting the captain to the HAL police station at 4.30 pm to proceed legally on this," said Rapido.
Rapido also said that they were willing to give legal support on........
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