Travelling late at night in a cab is a risky trade for women--even if she's a popular TV actress

Who will protect you in the dead of the night when the only person with you is the cab driver? Photo: Shutterstock/IndiaPicture

 
Public transport have never been an ideal mode of transportation for women. Because let's be honest--men in India can't keep it in their pants. To travel in buses means you'll get groped, even in broad daylight. Metro trains are out of the question because they don't ply at odd hours.

So what option are you left with? A cab ride alone with a driver, who may or may not turn out to be a molester. A cab ride may seem a safer option if you are a little drunk and cannot drive and still have to travel. But who will protect you in the dead of the night when the only person with you is the cab driver?

If you have ever taken a cab at night alone, you probably know how scary the experience is. Especially when there have been increasing cases of molestation and even rape involving cab drivers. If you think that things have changed and cab services in India have become relatively safer, you're wrong. Recently, a TV actress in Bengaluru was allegedly harassed by two cab drivers.

According to the Deccan Chronicle, the actor had gone to meet her friend in Hegganahalli, when the two drivers, identified as Satish and Bharath, allegedly pulled her and reportedly misbehaved with her. The victim somehow escaped and then lodged a complaint with the Rajagopalnagara police station. Although a complaint has been filed, it shows that even if you're a celebrity you are not safe in India.

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And this is not an isolated case. Earlier, another woman in Bengaluru woman had filed a complaint saying her Ola cab driver allegedly molested her. she alleged that the driver even attempted to take a detour from her route.

According to a report in The News Minute, the woman, who's a singer by profession, boarded the cab around 2.15 am in Koramangala and was headed for her home in Begur. But, the driver, on reaching the 5 km mark from her house, suddenly stopped the car. When the woman asked him the reason behind the halt, he told her he was taking a short cut. The woman told the driver to follow the map as she had entered the accurate location on the map. However, to her absolute horror, he suddenly turned around and groped her breast.

The thing is no matter how many SOS apps or trackers you use, you can't deny the fact that a cab ride puts in a vulnerable situation. And it gets worst if you are someone who works the night shift.

Also Read: Dear Bengaluru police, thanks for the SOS app and pink patrol vehicles. But what about some real measures for women safety?

While companies like Ola and Uber have tried to make changes in their policies to make their services safer, there have been little or no result on the ground level. While other companies have started providing cabs with female drivers, they are still a very few in number.

Which leaves us with the question: what can be done to ensure safety of women who travel at night? While police patrolling and awareness campaigns can be a start, the need of the hour is stricter rules and a proper check on drivers. We are hoping that the authorities and cab companies will wake up before more women are molested.