Numerous reports on social media platforms such as Reddit and Quora reveal a disturbing pattern of deception: passengers are misled about ridesharing arrangements and face long wait times and unexpected fees.
Updated on – August 25, 2024, 3:43 p.m.
Hyderabad: Passengers arriving at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad are increasingly falling victim to illicit shared taxi scams, resulting in frustrating and unpleasant experiences.
Numerous reports on social media platforms such as Reddit and Quora reveal a disturbing pattern of deception: passengers are misled about ridesharing arrangements and face long wait times and unexpected fees.
The crux of these scams lies not in the concept of ridesharing, but in the dishonesty involved. Passengers are often unaware that they are sharing their ride with others until it is too late. In some cases, their luggage is used as leverage, resulting in additional charges or longer wait times.
A 26-year-old professional described a recent incident on Reddit, claiming he was charged Rs 800 for a supposedly convenient shared taxi service. Instead, the ride turned into a two-and-a-half-hour ordeal during which the taxi took detours to drop off other passengers, earning the driver Rs 3,200.
In another case, a traveler reported being tricked into canceling a pre-booked Uber ride, only to end up in a shared taxi with strangers and charged a higher fare.
In another disturbing case, a passenger was forced to change from a taxi to a car in the middle of a journey under the pretext of taking a shortcut, making an already stressful situation even worse.
One Quora user described the scam: “It’s not just about the ride, it’s about holding your luggage hostage. Once they have it, they might make you wait for an hour or charge extra at your drop-off point.”
Numerous reports describe scammers promising cheap rides but then taking passengers’ luggage, delaying their departure and then inviting additional passengers, creating unpleasant conditions. This disturbing trend at RGIA shows a network of drivers forming cartels to consolidate passengers, while providing poor service despite initially offering low prices.
Following such incidents, travellers are advised to only use pre-booked rides with services such as Uber or Ola and to be cautious of anyone offering alternative transport options locally.
Despite the increasing number of complaints, the RGIA authorities have not yet addressed the problem or taken stricter measures to curb these scams, leaving passengers to deal with these risks on their own.
