The Uber driver’s negligence and careless behaviour caused the passenger/complainant to suffer mental anguish because of the delay in reaching their destination, according to the bench consisting of President In-Charge R.P. Nagre, Members G.M. Kapse and S.A. Petkar.
The complainant in this instance is a lawyer by trade, necessitating frequent travel outside of Mumbai. The complainant had a flight leaving at 5:50 p.m. from Mumbai to Chennai to attend a very important meeting.
She also complained that the driver started the trip late as he was over the call. He was on his way to the airport when he made a wrong turn and took a cab to a CNG station, adding another 15-20 minutes to the delay, according to the source. Ms. Sharma missed her flight because it was already 5.23 p.m. when she arrived at the airport. Additionally, according to the advocate’s complaint, Uber charged her Rs 703 for the trip even though the estimated rate at the time of booking was Rs 563.
The plaintiff filed a complaint asking the court to order the defendant (Uber) to pay the complainant Rs. 2,539 for the cost of the second trip and Rs. 2,00,000 for the mental anguish, torture, and physical harassment. The Court ruled that the opposing party is accountable for the subpar service provided to the complainant. The opposite party admitted error and made an effort to make amends by adjusting the additional cost of Rs. 139 that the complainant paid for the longer route. It does not account for the complainant’s mental suffering.
In light of the foregoing, the bench partially upheld the allegation and ordered the unser to pay the complainant Rs. 10,000 for mental anguish and Rs. 10,000 for litigation costs.
