The kidnapping of an Ola rider by one of the drivers on its platform is prompting ride-hailing companies to implement more stringent processes while signing up new drivers and may force the companies to curb expansion to ensure passenger safety, say analysts and company executives.
The incident is seen as the biggest threat to the expansion of cab-hailing services in India after the rape of a woman Uber rider in December 2014 forced the company and Ola (ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd) to be stricter about their driver verification processes, add an SOS button on their apps and generally pay more attention to passenger safety.
A 29-year-old doctor in Delhi was kidnapped by an Ola driver and his accomplices on 6 July and held captive for nearly 14 days before the police found the victim, who was unhurt, in Uttar Pradesh and arrested four of the kidnappers.
The Ola driver had asked for a ransom of Rs5 crore from the company
Read more at: mint