We have been hearing several stories of abuse, assault, and misbehavior of Uber and Ola drivers regularly. And what happened this time really shivers you that you will be afraid to take the cab again.
Around 20 Uber drivers beat up a Bangalore-based man at the airport brutally.
Yes, you read it right.
This incident happened at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.
48-year-old advertising agency owner Dave Banerjee, was beaten up by a group of cab drivers.
And can you guess the reason?
He asked for seat belts!
Dave Banerjee, said that the attack took place at around 9 pm, while he was returning home from the airport.
When complained with Uber’s emergency service, he alleged that no action was taken by them. He got a reply that, “we can’t help, call the police.”
Got beaten up by a mob of 20+ #Uber drivers at #Bangalore Airport last night for demanding seatbelts. Uber SOS said ‘we can’t help, call the police’. @dkhos @amijain1 @ShaileshSawlani @FreeseChristian @Uber_BLR @UberINSupport @timesofindia @ndtv @BlrCityPolice @CPBlr @firstpost pic.twitter.com/QghDMlgYzX
— Dave Banerjee (@DaveBanerjee) November 14, 2017
He lodged a complaint.
Have they replied to you anywhere? You can probably use the details of the driver assigned to you to get their attention. WTF @Uber_BLR ?
— Tamanna (@itssynecdoche) November 14, 2017
In the car, we couldn’t find the rear seat belts. As I’m particular about the rear seat belts, I asked the driver to stop the car and let me pull out the seat belts, which were inside the seat. When he didn’t stop the car, even after asking him twice, I tapped him on his shoulders and asked him to stop the car immediately.
This is the reply he received.
This sounds concerning, Dave. Our team will reach out to you.
— Uber India Support (@UberINSupport) November 14, 2017
When Dave got out of the car to pull out the seat belt, even the driver came out. The driver also claimed he was attacked by Dave, and so gathered other drivers who were passing by.
“For more than 45 minutes, over 25 drivers surrounded us and attacked us. I was injured, and so was one of my colleagues,” said Dave.
Dave said Uber’s SOS system didn’t help while the attack was going. He said the representative asked him to approach the police when Dave contacted SOS service for help.
What did you guys do when I called your SOS? Why don’t you share that recording on Twitter? #Uber is a menace to the society.
— Dave Banerjee (@DaveBanerjee) November 14, 2017
Even after the attack, I sent them emails, but they stopped the email trail stating, ‘due to the severity of the issue, another representative will get in touch’. There was no response after that.
Uber’s reply reads, “Based on the severity of the incident you have reported, the concerned team is reviewing and will be addressing it on a different trail to ensure necessary actions are taken. I will be closing this thread here.”
That’s your response? I reached out to you and you did jack. The worst was after my call to you. https://t.co/z3iDVAwQ82
— Dave Banerjee (@DaveBanerjee) November 14, 2017
“My husband is severely injured, and is finding it difficult to even move.There are prominent marks on Dave’s body as a result of the drivers beating him up for close to 45 minutes. He also has a broken jaw. We are yet to receive the report from the hospital. Such hooliganism is simply unacceptable,” said Malika Baruah, wife of Dave Banerjee.
Uber meanwhile said that they had barred the driver’s access to the Uber app.
What’s been described has no place on our app. Safety of our riders is a priority for us at Uber. We have barred the driver-partner’s access to the Uber app. We will support the law enforcement authorities in their investigation and proceedings in any way possible.
Senior Bengaluru police officers said that so far, no complaint about the alleged incident has been received at any police station in the city. Dave said that once his medical treatment is over, he will be proceeding with the legal course. This is not the first time that Uber drivers behave like this. Comedian Mallika Dua too had the worst experience with Uber.
What is your view on this? Share us in the comments.
