A woman’s experience with Rapido’s Pink ride service has triggered a discussion about safety checks and accountability on ride-hailing platforms after she alleged that a male captain was assigned to her booking despite selecting a service intended for women riders.
Instagram creator Shalini Chaturvedi shared the experience in a Reel, saying she specifically chose Rapido Pink because she expected to be assigned a female captain. The video has received more than 18,000 likes.
Woman Says Male Driver Was Assigned to Rapido Pink Ride
According to Chaturvedi, she received a call from a man after booking the Pink ride. She said she reminded him that she had deliberately selected the service because she expected a woman captain.
The man allegedly responded, “Madam, I am gay.”
Chaturvedi said she subsequently decided to cancel the booking. However, she claimed that the app showed a Rs 15 cancellation fee for a ride that would have cost approximately Rs 25.
She also alleged that the profile photograph displayed on the app appeared to show a woman, adding to her concerns about the booking.
In the Reel, Chaturvedi expressed concern that the driver had already seen her and allegedly knew the location of her residence.
“And there is a man in front of me. Now this man has seen my face. He knows which building I live in. And I cannot even do anything,” she said.
‘Female Safety Is Just a Profitable Deal’
Chaturvedi criticised what she described as a serious lapse in a service marketed specifically around women’s safety.
“Female safety, women’s safety is just a profitable deal in this country. It’s a joke,” she said.
In the caption accompanying the Reel, she added, “Apparently, being a woman is a premium priced experience, with no premium protection included. Pink tax, luxury pricing, and still no assurance of safety.”
Rapido Responds to Complaint
Rapido responded to Chaturvedi’s post and apologised for the experience. The company said its Pink service is specifically designed to assign rides to female captains.
“Bike Pink rides are specifically meant to be assigned to female captains, and we’d like to investigate how this ride was assigned to a male captain,” Rapido said.
The company also said it would investigate the captain’s conduct and review the cancellation charge. According to Rapido, the fee should not have been applied under the circumstances described by Chaturvedi.
The company asked her to share her mobile number and ride ID through direct message so that the matter could be investigated.
Creator Questions Initial Action Taken
Chaturvedi later shared another update about her communication with Rapido. She said she was initially informed that the captain would receive a warning and could face stricter action if a similar issue occurred again.
“Honestly, that was my biggest concern. A man had entered the Rapido Pink service by using the profile/photo of a female relative, and I did not think a mere warning was an appropriate response to something like this,” Chaturvedi said.
“That made me far more furious than the money or anything else involved,” she added.
According to Chaturvedi, Rapido later shared proof that the captain’s association with the platform had been terminated. She described that outcome as a satisfactory resolution.
The account of the incident remains based on Chaturvedi’s description of what happened and the subsequent communication she said she had with Rapido.
Incident Sparks Debate Over Ride-Hailing Safety
The episode also prompted other social media users to raise questions about verification, pricing and accountability on ride-hailing platforms.
One user tagged Rapido while describing a separate experience in which a driver allegedly arrived in another vehicle and called for improvements to the service.
Another user questioned why the Pink ride costs more than a standard scooter ride.
A third commenter criticised the broader aggregator model and questioned the level of accountability involved.
The discussion highlights the expectations riders can have from specialised safety-focused services, particularly when the service’s stated purpose involves matching women riders with female captains.
