'You're Not Allowed To Feel Safe': Mumbai Woman Alleges Harassment By Taxi Union In Kerala
Janvi, an assistant professor from Mumbai, shared her experience of being allegedly harassed by local taxi union members in Munnar.
What began as a serene vacation in Kerala turned into a distressing ordeal for Janvi, an assistant professor from Mumbai, who shared her experience of being allegedly harassed by local taxi union members in Munnar. Her detailed video, posted on Instagram on October 31, has since gone viral, sparking conversations about tourist safety and the rights of passengers using online cab services in India.
'I was being forced to go...'
In the video, Janvi recounted how her trip started smoothly with visits to Kochi and Alleppey, where she praised the people as “extremely kind and welcoming”. However, her experience took a sharp turn after reaching Munnar. “Our Airbnb host casually told us that Uber and Ola pickups are not allowed in Munnar,” she said, emphasising that it wasn’t a case of unavailability but a restriction enforced by local unions.
Check out the video below:
Janvi and her friends had already booked an Uber for their return journey. When they questioned the rule, the host allegedly warned them to meet the driver discreetly at another location to avoid confrontation. “We met our driver and started loading our bags when suddenly five or six men appeared. They began threatening the driver, saying he couldn’t take us,” she said, describing how the situation quickly escalated.
Feeling unsafe, Janvi called the police, hoping for help—but what followed left her shocked and helpless. According to her, the officers spoke only to the union members and later told her group they must use the local union taxi. “No one even asked us what happened. We were told, ‘You have to go with them or stay here,’” she recalled.
When she reached out to Kerala Tourism, she said she received the same response, that they could not take an Uber or Ola and had to travel with the union taxi. “I was being forced to go with people who had just threatened us. As a woman, I feel safer in an Uber because I can share my live location and lodge complaints easily. But I wasn’t given that choice,” Janvi said.
'Tourists are still being harassed'
She later discovered that the Kerala High Court had ruled in favour of allowing online taxis like Uber and Ola to operate, affirming that customers have a constitutional right to choose their mode of transport.
Janvi also revealed that the union taxi drivers initially demanded nearly triple the fare compared to the Uber rate. After sharing her experience online, she received messages from others who claimed to have faced similar harassment in different states. “Some were followed by taxi groups late at night, while others were forced to stay at unsafe hotels. I just want to know how common this really is,” she wrote in her post.
While Janvi praised Kerala’s beauty and hospitality, she concluded that she might not return. “I loved Kerala, but I can’t visit a place where I’m not allowed to feel safe,” she said.
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