Assam police on Saturday arrested an Uber cab driver for allegedly assaulting a man and trying to run him over over a dispute over the payment method for a trip.
Two journalists, Mohd Abuzar Choudhary and Nikita Jain, said they took an trip in an Uber cab this morning and their default payment was set to online.
However, the journalists alleged that the driver demanded cash and got aggressive when told it wasn't possible to change the payment method once the trip starts.
Jain has also alleged that the driver beat up her colleague with a rod and tried to run him over with his car when they said they would file a complaint. She also accused the driver of calling them "Bangladeshi".
"We had booked an Uber for Kamakhya in #Guwahati. The online was payment but he wanted cash. He then got aggressive and beat @MohdAbuzarCh with a rod. When we said we will file a complaint he tried to run over my colleague with his car. He also called us Bangladeshi @assampolice," she tweeted along with a picture of the driver.
The Guwahati Police responded to her tweet asking for details soon after, and Police Commissioner Hardi Singh personally responded to the tweet saying, "Action has been initiated."
Uber India also responded to the tweet asking for some details and promising "necessary action".
The journalist who tweeted the video also demanded the termination of the driver contract and called on Uber to train their driver-partners on "tolerant and secular" practices.
There have been widespread complaints from customers regarding cab drivers refusing trips if they are not paid in cash. Users who prefer digital payments link their cab-hailing app accounts directly to their banks via credit/debit cards, UPI, or other digital wallets. Drivers claim cash is easier for them because of immediate payments instead of weekly ones by cab companies.
In a statement Uber said: "What has been described violates Uber's code of conduct and has no place on the platform. We have removed the driver's access to the app and are in touch with the rider to provide assistance. We stand ready to assist law enforcement authorities and have informed the rider that he can avail trip insurance to cover medical expenses."
