Stranded 25 km from exam centre by Ola driver, woman writes civil judge test in stress, wins Rs 55,000 payout

Stranded midway

• According to the complaint, the woman had booked an Ola Auto ride on October 11, 2025, from Guntur to Acharya Nagarjuna University, where she was scheduled to appear for the Junior Civil Judge Mains Examination. She was accompanied by her mother.
• The complainant alleged that the driver arrived in a vehicle different from the one shown on the Ola application and insisted on receiving the OTP before commencing the trip.
• She contended that instead of proceeding to the examination centre, the driver diverted the route, drove them nearly 25 km away from the intended destination, and later demanded additional money to drop them at the correct location.
• When she refused, the driver allegedly abandoned her and her mother on the roadside.
• The complainant said she had to arrange another autorickshaw at her own expense and rush to the examination centre, suffering severe mental stress and anxiety that adversely affected her performance in the examination.

Complaints, legal notice

The woman subsequently lodged complaints through the Ola app and by email and also issued a legal notice. She sought Rs 5 lakh in compensation for the mental agony and hardship caused by the incident.

Ola, in its defence, argued that it merely provides an online platform connecting independent drivers and passengers, and cannot be held responsible for the conduct of drivers.

The company also submitted that it had reviewed the complaint, suspended the concerned driver and removed the vehicle from its platform as a precautionary measure. It further contended that no monetary loss had been suffered by the complainant as no payment was made for the ride.

‘Caused mental agony’

• The commission noted that the evidence on record, including the route map and complaint correspondence, clearly indicated that the driver acted in an irresponsible manner.
• It observed that leaving a woman candidate and her mother stranded on a public road caused immense mental agony, fear, humiliation and emotional distress.
• It emphasised that rushing to the examination centre under tremendous pressure would naturally affect the mental peace and concentration of any candidate appearing for such an important examination.
• The commission rejected Ola’s defence that it merely provides an online platform connecting independent drivers and passengers and cannot be held responsible for the conduct of drivers.
• The ride was booked through Ola’s digital platform, the OTP verification was generated and controlled through the said platform, and the driver who undertook the ride was admittedly attached to its service network, the forum noted.
• The complainant availed the service solely because of the assurance, representation, and credibility associated with the platform, it observed.
• The commission held that merely describing itself as an online intermediary did not absolve Ola of responsibility towards consumers availing services through its application.

Consumer court holds Ola guilty

Holding that the company could not evade liability for the acts of a driver operating through its network, the commission found Ola guilty of deficiency in service.

While declining to award Rs 5 lakh sought by the complainant, it said a compensation of Rs 50,000 would adequately address the mental agony, emotional distress and inconvenience suffered by her at a crucial stage of her examination.

The commission also directed Ola to pay Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.