Road safety warning leads to assault: Journalist claims Rapido driver attacked him with rod; video sparks outrage

GURGAON: A cab ride turned hostile after a journalist alleged that a Rapido driver assaulted him with a rod during a dispute over road safety.

According to the journalist, the altercation began when he asked the driver to stop holding his mobile phone to his ear while taking a call and to keep both hands on the steering wheel. He said the request was made purely in the interest of passenger safety.


The journalist further alleged that prior to the confrontation, the driver had nearly collided with a motorcycle, raising further concerns about reckless driving.

Shortly after the safety request, the situation escalated, allegedly resulting in a physical assault.


A video shared by the journalist shows a tense moment on the road, with a man identified as the Rapido driver approaching the person recording the footage while holding a rod.

While the exact location of the incident has not been officially confirmed, the vehicle’s registration number visible in the video suggests it is registered in Haryana.

Sharing the video on social media, the journalist detailed his version of events in a caption. “Reason: I asked him to stop holding his phone to his ear in a call and put both hands on steering wheel. Before this he'd already nearly hit a motorcycle, ” he wrote.

He also expressed concern over the company’s response, claiming that Rapido had not acted on the complaint even two days after the incident.

“The real shocking thing is that there has been no response from Rapido for two days. It seems he is still on their platform. Be careful while taking Rapido please. It’s a tiny bit cheaper than Uber but you might be risking your safety,” the journalist added.

One user wrote, " What this driver is doing is unacceptable; strict action is necessary."

Another user wrote, " Why does he have a weapon like rode in his car?."

"Stopped using Rapido after a similar experience, " another user commented.