At around 3:20 am on Monday, Shikha*, a working professional in Bengaluru, travelled in an Ola cab from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. Around 10 minutes into her journey, she realised that the cab driver had taken an alternative route to reach the city — the route via BK Halli-Bagalur instead of the traditional NH 44.
"I immediately asked the driver to turn around and take the main road, NH 44, but he (the driver) dismissed my request saying that this was the correct route," recalls Shikha.
Shikha asked the driver to stop the car by pressing the emergency button. She was in an isolated area at the time and she told the driver to call his supervisor but she says that the driver asked her to get off the car. Eventually, she managed to call a friend who was also leaving from the airport around that time and hitched a ride. She claimed that despite pressing the emergency button, there was no help forthcoming from Ola for over two hours.
Shikha filed a complaint at the Bengaluru Airport police station. However, an FIR was not registered. "Since there was no offence, in this case, we have not registered an FIR," a police official told TNM.
Why drivers choose the alternate route
The incident once again raises questions about the safety of women travelling alone to and from the airport at night, particularly on the alternative route sometimes used by cab drivers.
Often, cab drivers choose to take the alternate route not only because it is faster to reach the airport from areas like Whitefield, but it also helps drivers avoid paying the toll on NH44.
Two months ago, a woman was murdered by a cab driver who tried to rob her on the way to the airport. Police officials said that the cab driver Nagesh had deviated from the main road and demanded money from Pooja Singh De, a model and event manager who was visiting the city. The cab driver attacked and murdered her before leaving her remains near the airport in Kaadayarappanahalli village.
Police officials confirmed that they have received multiple complaints from women about cab drivers taking the alternative route to the Bengaluru airport. The complainants have cited a lack of street lights on the route and also pointed out that the route is mostly isolated and unused.
Speaking to TNM, Shikha said that she had read about the murder incident in July in the newspaper and believes that the alternative roads to the airport should not be allowed to be used by cab aggregators. She decided to file a complaint at the Bengaluru Airport police station to stress the need for measures to be taken to improve the safety of commuters in this stretch.
"If my friend had not been there, I don't know what would have happened. I don't think that the road is safe for either men or women. It needs to be blocked, especially at night. So many people have reached out to me saying that drivers were occasionally taking the alternative route to the airport and that only on request, the drivers would switch to the main road," added Shikha.
Ola’s stand
Reacting to the incident, an Ola spokesperson said, "Safety of customers is the top priority for us and we have taken several proactive measures in this regard. These include issuing regular advisories to driver-partners and customers, 24/7 helpline, Emergency Button and our unique Ola Guardian feature. We continue to add product updates that enhance safety measures on the platform and look forward to collaborating with the authorities to enable a safe and reliable mobility experience in our cities."
However, the cab aggregator declined to comment on whether drivers will be blocked from taking the alternative route. TNM has reached out to Uber for comment. This article will be updated once a response is received.
*Name changed