21-year-old woman accuses Uber driver of slapping her over Rs 40 toll charges dispute

George Mendonca

Navi Mumbai: A 21-year-old woman, a digital creator from Wadala (East) has said she had a harrowing experience while travelling in an Uber cab from Mahalaxmi to Nerul. She said that upon reaching her destination in Nerul, the driver demanded an additional Rs 40 in cash for toll charges. When she refused, he turned violent, slapped her and even intimidated her for refusing to pay toll charges. The woman, identified as 'Shivanii', has shared the incident last week on a social media post. The incident occurred on April 22, when she lodged a complaint against the Uber driver at the Nerul police station. Subsequently, a non-cognizable offence was registered against the Uber driver, who was booked under BNS sections for the offence of voluntarily causing hurt and intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace.

In her social media post, the complainant woman claimed that she had booked an Uber cab ride from Mahalaxmi to Nerul on the Uber app when the trip fare showed Rs 460. The fare was later updated to Rs 501 when the ride ended at Nerul around 4 pm. She paid the fare online after reaching Nerul, when the cab driver demanded additional Rs 40 cash for toll charges, which she refused as she believed that toll charges were included in the trip fare. The driver insisted on the Rs 40, when the dispute escalated. She claimed that the driver attempted to prevent her from leaving the vehicle and turned aggressive when she got down from the cab without paying the additional Rs 40.

She claimed that the driver came very close to her face during the argument, when she pushed him away in self-defence. The driver turned violent and slapped her, twisted her hand and continued to intimidate her by saying, "Phir se maar ke dikhaun kya".

She said that what began as a disagreement over refusing to pay a small additional amount became a serious safety issue for her. Hence, she contacted her office colleagues who arrived at the spot to support her and ensure her safety. She claimed that some bystanders who witnessed the altercation had intervened to help her and resolve the dispute. She said the driver showed no remorse and continued threatening her even after others intervened.