Mumbai Rapido riders say rider, number plate often differ from app details, raising safety concerns

Questions over passenger safety on app-based ride services have resurfaced after reports that a suspect in the firing case at actor Tiger Shroff's home had allegedly worked as a bike-taxi rider with Rapido.

Mumbai commuters who use Rapido say the rider and vehicle shown on the app are often different from the rider and vehicle that arrive for pickup. There are also complaints of reckless driving, difficulty reaching help in an emergency, and being unable to get the rider's details after a trip ends. Women passengers in particular say these lapses make them feel unsafe travelling in the city.

Nandini Keluskar, a resident of Nahur, said that when the bike arrived, neither the number plate nor the rider's face matched. Being in a hurry, she got on, but on the way the rider began speeding dangerously through traffic. When she asked him to slow down, he laughed it off. She looked for an emergency button in the app but found no easy way to connect directly with local authorities or immediate help. "I was very scared," she said.

Isha Khatu of Borivali said a stranger wearing the app's helmet turned up, but the number plate was different from the one on the screen and his face was not that of the man named in the app. She said such a mismatch late at night in Mumbai is unnerving. She said she had never felt unsafe in the city before, but such carelessness frightens her.

Kanak Rajadhyaksha of Bandra booked a bike from Bandra to Sion. Both the bike model and the number plate differed from the app's details. It was her first bike-taxi ride, so she cancelled the trip. The rider argued with her. Friends later told her this happens quite often with Rapido.

Sanjana Sahu, a medical representative, was moving from Rasayani near Panvel to Ghatkopar and booked a Rapido car. She got the driver's name and number plate, but the car had a private white number plate instead of a yellow one. When she asked, the driver said, "Rapido pe chalta hai apna khudka gadi."

Maya Sharma of Santacruz wanted to trace the rider after an auto ride from Khar to Santacruz, but his profile had vanished from the screen. During an argument she had forgotten to photograph the driver and the number plate. When she asked customer support for the vehicle details, the reply took more than four hours. She asked why Rapido does not provide details after a trip when other apps do.

Priya Kadam of Dadar booked a Rapido auto on her way back from the office, and at the same time her manager booked an Uber auto. Both rides were accepted immediately, and it then emerged that the same driver had taken both bookings on the two platforms. She asked why drivers should be allowed such an arrangement.

Six specific questions were put to Rapido on discrepancies between rider and vehicle registration, access to trip details and passenger safety. The company's reply did not address the main concerns, particularly why the rider and number plate shown in the app can differ from the vehicle that arrives. The company said, "Passenger safety is a top priority at Rapido and we have several arrangements to help during a ride."

According to the company, passengers can press SOS using the red emergency button in the app to connect with an emergency response team that works round the clock. The feature is available as soon as a ride starts. It can send an alert to saved emergency contacts and arrange an ambulance in case of an accident. After rides between 10 pm and 6 am, the customer care team also contacts the passenger to check on their safety.

Rapido said the captain's and vehicle's details are shared with the passenger as soon as a booking is confirmed, and the company also holds them. If details are needed after a trip to report an incident, they can be requested from the support team. The passenger's account and trip details are verified so that the information goes only to the right person. Safety complaints are handled on priority, it said. The company urged passengers to report problems in the app.

The six questions also asked why the app's number plate sometimes differs from the vehicle that arrives, why there is no easy emergency calling facility, why details are not available after a trip, why providing details takes hours, and what a passenger should do if the rider or vehicle does not match, whether to take the ride or not.

A reporter booked a ride from Andheri railway station to a friend's home in Andheri East. The rider arrived on a black Suzuki Access scooter without a helmet. The number plate differed from the app's details, but the ride began once the OTP was shared. As traffic built up, the rider left the app's route and entered narrow lanes, riding carelessly. The lanes were poorly lit and he was unwilling to slow down. The reporter phoned a friend and described the situation, warned of going to the police, and photographed the rider and the number plate. As soon as the trip ended, the rider's details disappeared from the app. The reporter did not file a complaint.