Bengaluru Rapido case is chilling reminder of how unsafe women are on ride-hailing apps
Crime against women are becoming increasingly common on these apps. Photo: dailyO
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.
What happened
- On November 30, Ankur Bagchi, (whose user name is @JustAnkurBagchi), took to X to share a horrific incident that took place with his friend in Bengaluru the previous night, November 29.
- Ankur said that his friend fell victim to sexual assault by a Rapido auto driver in Bengaluru during the night.
- According to his post, the friend was allegedly subjected to inappropriate touching, and upon resisting, the driver callously threw her out from the moving auto.
Rapido enables sexual predators. Do not use Rapido.
— Ankur Bagchi (v/sig — Virtue Signaller) (@JustAnkurBagchi) November 30, 2023
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…
- Following the traumatic experience, the woman reached out to Rapido to resolve this; however, according to Ankur, the Rapido custumer care said, "sorry", and that they "don't store auto driver details, not our problem...".
- He also mentioned that right now, his friend needs medical care.
Rapido responds
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.
Here are some similar ones from the recent past
(Trigger Warning: Mentions of sexual harassment)
- In the month of April, a video went viral, where a Bengaluru woman was seen jumping off a speeding bike to, allegedly, save herself from being molested by a Rapido driver.
- In July 2023, another woman from Bengaluru (yes Bengaluru again), accused the driver of a Rapido bike taxi of masturbating mid-ride and sexual harassment.
- Not only that, after the ride was over, the Rapido driver kept on texting her on her Whatsapp account.
Thread 🧵#SexualHarassement
— Athira Purushothaman (@Aadhi_02) July 21, 2023
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
- In September 2022, a journalism student was assaulted by an Uber driver in Chennai. According to her, the auto driver named Selvam sexually assaulted her near Ibis OMR hotel.
I’m a student journalist at @ACJIndia, Chennai.
— Ishita Singh (@ishitasingh19_) September 25, 2022
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
Women narrate similar incidents
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.
-
'Make me your brother'
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.
'Stopped in the middle of nowhere to drink with his friends'
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)
What to keep in mind
Now, here are some steps that you can follow to ensure your safety:
- Before getting into (or on) the vehicle, double-check the driver's information on the app, including name and photo.
- Utilise the app's ride-sharing feature to keep someone informed about your trip, ensuring an added layer of safety (especially if it's night time).
- Try to monitor the route on the app or always keep Google Maps open to your destination to ensure it aligns with the expected path.
- Use the SOS option on your respective app if anything goes awry.