BENGALURU : Attacks on cab drivers are on the rise in and around the city, and in recent cases, robbers posing as commuters targeted two drivers and attacked them before snatching their valuables.
It is not just robbery, as one cab driver discovered in Adugodi in October 2018. After he accepted a booking, his passengers snatched his car keys. Despite robbing him of Rs 29,000, the miscreants took him to an isolated place and forced him to video-call his wife. They instructed the driver to ask his wife to strip, and when she refused, they assaulted him again. This forced her to strip, and the gang allegedly took screenshots. Later, the driver was taken to a lodge from where he managed to escape on the pretext of going to the bathroom.
Arul Chandran, another victim, told TNIE, “It is our duty to accept bookings, and we are black-listed if we cancel a trip without valid reason. So we reach the pick-up spot on time.”
It took Chandran almost 20 days to get out from the shock of a robbery, and now, he avoids rides if there are more than two persons at midnight.
Anup Shetty, DCP (North-East) said there should be an emergency alert system (SOS) for drivers who find themselves in trouble. “It would be helpful to send an alert to a nearby police station to track the cab’s movements,” he said.
Drivers should avoid isolated routes during night hours, and use only main roads. If they sense any danger from the commuters, they should stop the vehicles near shops or hotels on highways, or at toll gates.
RISKY RIDES