'I realised that the cab's registration number did not match the SMS I had received.'
'The driver tried to convince me that his car had broken down so he had to get his friend's cab...'
A young chartered accountant* from Delhi recalls her experience with a radio cab service provider.
Please share your experience.
It was 10.30 pm and I was attending an office party at a mall in Gurgaon.
I usually take a Meru, but this time I thought let's try TaxiForSure because I had heard it is relatively cheaper.
I received an SMS with the driver's name -- Paras -- and the taxi's registration number.
At 10.30 pm, I got a call from the driver informing me that my cab was waiting at the entrance of the mall.
My friends were still partying.
I quickly went down.
When I reached the gate, I realised that the cab's registration number did not match the SMS I had received.
The driver tried to convince me that his car had broken down, so he had to get his friend's cab, hence the registration numbers did not match.
Since I was getting late, and the driver looked genuine, I got inside the cab and immediately called up the customer care at TaxiForSure to cross check.
The customer care executive told me that the cab in which I was sitting in was not registered with TaxiForSure.
I immediately asked the driver to stop and got off the taxi.
When I stepped out, I realised that the cab belonged to Quick Cabs and not TaxiForSure.
The customer care executive who I was speaking to apologised for the delay and promised to arrange a different driver at the earliest.
I overheard the driver talking to someone on the phone (the original driver assigned to me) asking him to intervene and fix the issue.
I soon realised the Quick Cabs taxi driver had swapped his identity with Paras who was registered with TaxiForSure.
I reported the incident to TaxiForSure and demanded an explanation.
The executive asked me to wait for a replacement which I refused.
Fortunately, I was a few steps away from the mall so I decided to go back inside to join my friends.
When I narrated the incident to my friends, they warned me against taking a radio cab and promised to drop me home.
I have been taking radio cabs for more than three years now. This is the first time I had such a experience.
When I came home and narrated the incident to my brother who is a lawyer, he asked me to share details of the driver who came to pick me up so that he could report the incident and take necessary action.
I had forgotten to take a picture of the cab and the driver which could have been used as evidence against the service provider.
Since that day, whenever I take a cab, I always share the details with my brother and family and send them the tracking link.
If I am travelling late, I also activate my phone's GPS so that I can keep a track of the direction.
If the driver takes a shortcut to save travel time, I insist that he takes the original route which I am familiar with.
Even if it means spending a little extra, I never allow taxi drivers to take a short cut or a new route in the night.
For girls who travel late, I have the following advice:
- Always be alert and attentive.
- If you are hiring a radio cab, verify the registration number and driver details from the text message. If there is any mismatch, please confirm with the customer care executives.
- Always carry a pepper spray with you.
- As far as possible, take office transport.
- Ask a friend or colleague to accompany you till you get a cab or rickshaw in the night.
- Always take a photograph of the driver and registration number and share it with your family. This will make the driver alert and more responsible to drop you safe.
*Name withheld on request.
As told to Divya Nair
ALSO READ:
Have you had a bad experience with taxi or rickshaw drivers?
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What advice would you give passengers who commute late at night?
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Kindly e-mail getahead@rediff.co.in (Subject: My Cab Experience) with your name, city and details of commute. We will publish the most useful responses
Lead image (TaxiForSure cab services) published only for representational purposes.
