Pune: A 43-year-old Pimple Saudagar resident turned cabby for himself on Friday evening, after the Uber driver ferrying him from Mumbai airport to Pune repeatedly appeared to doze off at the wheel, raising fears of an accident on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. The incident has once again highlighted concerns over driver fatigue, working hours and earnings among app-based cabbies.Chartered accountant Manoj Malpani landed in Mumbai from Bhuj and booked an Uber intercity ride to Pune in the evening. The first driver rejected the trip, but a second accepted it, and the journey began around 6.30pm.“I started getting jittery in the cab as something did not seem right with the driver. I had no option but to continue as we were on the expressway,” Malpani told TOI.Seated in the back of the SUV, Malpani noticed the driver yawning repeatedly and struggling to stay awake. He also saw him doze off at least twice, prompting fears that the vehicle could meet with an accident.“With frequent fatalities reported on the expressway, I was really worried. I knew something had to be done, or we could end up in a bad situation,” the CA said.The cab reached the Food Mall in Lonavla around 8.30pm, delayed by heavy traffic in Mumbai. The driver stopped for a break and even bought an energy drink in an attempt to stay awake. When Malpani questioned him, the driver admitted that he was exhausted and sleepy after being on duty continuously.Malpani then offered to take the wheel while the driver rested. The latter readily agreed. “I began driving while the cabby sat beside me. He immediately reclined his seat and fell asleep without any further reaction,” Malpani narrated.The passenger continued driving until Urse toll plaza, by which time the driver had woken up. However, the cabby still appeared drowsy and exhausted. After they crossed the toll plaza, he returned to the front passenger seat and fell asleep again.Malpani drove the remaining distance to Pune, reaching his destination around 10.30pm. He woke the driver, handed the vehicle back and paid the fare.“I know I should not have been driving someone else’s cab, but I was genuinely concerned about my safety. I had hoped he would at least thank me, but that didn’t happen,” he said.Malpani also questioned how an exhausted driver could remain active on the ride-hailing platform despite the company’s access to trip data and technology. “I wonder whether Uber takes driver fatigue seriously. How was he allowed to remain active on the platform when he was so tired?” he asked.In a reply to Malpani on X, Uber said the incident was concerning, described such behaviour as unacceptable and reiterating that passenger safety was its priority. Malpani said the company was in touch with him over the matter.Responding to a query from TOI, an Uber spokesperson said, “What’s been described has no place on the Uber platform and violates our code of conduct, which is designed to uphold safety standards for riders and drivers. Based on the rider’s feedback and our investigation, we’ve removed the driver’s access to the Uber app and refunded the rider’s full trip fare as Uber credits. The safety of riders and drivers remains our top priority.”But the incident also threw a fresh spotlight on expectations from gig workers. “There is no fixed duty time for cabbies. This incident shows the stress they are under and how low earnings force them to work continuously,” said Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Indian Gig Workers Front.He alleged that Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) had repeatedly asked aggregator companies to revise fares in line with govt-approved rates, but they had failed to comply. He also criticised the transport department for not taking stringent action against the said companies.
