BENGALURU: ‘Your ride, on demand’ goes the corporate slogan of Uber on its website, but a physically challenged techie, who had a harrowing experience with an Uber cab in Bengaluru, says they ride as per their demands. They are ‘unsympathetic, rude and irresponsible,’ said Sujoy Das, a 33-year-old software professional, who cannot walk properly as he was afflicted by polio in the past.
Sujoy was humiliated and dropped-off forcibly without his consent after the Uber cab driver abruptly ended his trip in the middle of the road and asked him to take another cab.
The incident was reported on Monday morning in HSR Layout near Agara Lake around 9.30 am. Starting his usual day, Sujoy booked an Uber cab from his home in Banshankari to his office in Whitefield. But, little did he know, that his ride will turn into a nightmare.
Narrating the incident, Sujoy said, “The mode of transport I use to commute daily from office to home is cab. Like other days, on Tuesday too I booked the app-based Uber cabs to go to office as I had an important training to attend. After I boarded the cab, the driver, Srikanth suddenly stopped the car midway.”
When Sujoy enquired as to why the cab was stopped, to his utter shock, the driver reportedly asked him to get down from the vehicle right away as he has got another trip to take care of. “I was shocked when the driver abruptly ended my trip midway to take another. How another trip could be assigned to the driver when the earlier one has not ended yet,” said Sujoy.
He further charged, “I was not convinced with the driver’s explanation. He was lying to me. Not to make matters worse, I politely asked the driver to put me in touch with the customer care executive or someone whom I can talk to as how can I get down on the middle of the road. The driver said he doesn’t know anything and after a lot of persuasion and negotiation, I was forced to get down from the cab in the middle of the road.”
Stranded and humiliated Sujoy was left with no other option but to go to the other side of the road and book another cab with Uber at a much higher price. “When the driver didn’t budge, I had to get down from the cab, walk up to the other side of the road with great difficulty and book another cab to reach office.
After reaching office, I shot a mail to Uber and they replied that they will refund the amount. I want to ask a pertinent question here – Who wants the money? If you can repay then repay the trust, responsibility and for the humiliation I had to undergo. What if the same incident had happened during late night? What if the passenger was a woman? Who should be held responsible,” said Sujoy, who is now contemplating to approach the consumer court. He has also reported the incident to Bengaluru traffic police and sought their help.
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