Pune woman questions Rapido's data privacy after rider WhatsApps her following bike-taxi ride

A 21-year-old woman in Pune has raised questions about passenger safety and the protection of personal information. She alleges that after travelling by Rapido bike taxi from Swargate metro station to Kondhwa, the rider sent her a personal message on WhatsApp. The matter came to light on November 10, 2026.

According to the woman, she had booked the Rapido bike taxi to go from Swargate metro station to Kondhwa. During the ride, she noticed that the rider kept staring at her and was allegedly riding at very high speed. This made her uneasy, but she assumed such riding was common and did not object at first.

Shortly after the ride ended, she received a personal WhatsApp message from the rider. She also alleged that the rider followed her, which added to her concern for her safety.

After the incident, she wondered how the rider got her personal mobile number and why customers' personal details are accessible to bike-taxi riders.

Under Rapido's privacy policy, the company shares customers' names, pickup addresses and contact details with its captains, that is, riders, so that they can find and contact passengers. But the woman says there is no need to share customers' real phone numbers, since such information can be misused.

She voiced concern that sharing passengers' personal contact details can expose women and other customers to unwanted messages, harassment and violations of privacy. She suggests that passengers' real phone numbers be kept confidential and that communication between rider and customer take place within the app through a secure system that protects privacy.

After the incident, the woman filed a complaint with Rapido. She was reportedly assured by the company that the rider's ID would be suspended.

The case has again drawn attention to the responsibility of app-based transport companies to protect customers' personal information. Riders may need some trip details to complete a booking, but safeguards against misuse of passengers' contact details are also needed.

The complaint also raises a larger question of accountability: when a passenger books a ride through an app and her personal information is allegedly used to make contact for something unrelated to the service, who is responsible?