Pune woman cancels cab ride after driver offers her 'night parcel'

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Pune: A woman got a shock of her life when her Uber driver offered to get her a vodka. The woman had booked an Uber cab to go home from her workplace on Senapati Bapat Road around 8pm when the driver offered her if she wanted to take a 'night parcel'.

Flumoxed the woman asked what 'night parcel' was. To which the driver replied 'vodka'. She then immediately cancelled her ride and complained to Uber about the driver.

The woman, told Times of India, that she waiting for the cab by the roadside. "The driver was late by 10 minutes and I called him to know why. The driver identified himself as Balaji and his answer first confused me and then shocked me. He said he was reaching in five minutes and then asked me if I needed the 'night parcel'. I had no clue what it meant and asked him. He told me 'night parcel' meant vodka and whether I wanted the drink. I was utterly shocked and immediately disconnected. The driver called me thrice, but I didn't take his call. I checked the application and saw that he was 2-3 minutes away from where I was standing. I cancelled the ride and crossed over to the other side of the road so that he would not identify me."

The woman then took an auto to go home.

On this matter, Uber spokesperson said that teh safety of the passenger is of utmost importance to them and that they have immediately removed the driver partner's access to the Uber app. A representative also contacted the woman and apologised.

The driver was registered on the platform after a thorough background check and had a valid license and credentials.

In January, a report said that in a bid to ensure billions of its riders a safe and secure journey, ride-hailing platform Uber on Tuesday said the company may allow people to request drivers with higher ratings. The company will "do much more with driver ratings… and have users be able to opt in to a higher level of service," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said during a panel discussion during the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Uber is currently providing four billion rides a year globally. Khosrowshahi, however, did not elaborate further on whether users would have to pay a premium for requesting drivers.

Also Read: Uber Launches 'Movement' In India To Support Data-Driven Urban Planning

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