Woman horrified as taxi driver uses phone, dozes off on autopilot, gets ₹58 compensation from app
A woman was horrified after her ride-hailing driver sped on autopilot with no hands on the wheel, yet the platform only compensated her with a ₹58 coupon.
A woman in China was left horrified after a ride-hailing driver sped down an expressway in autopilot mode, all while scrolling on his phone and appearing drowsy. Despite the serious risk to her safety, the platform gave her just a 5-yuan coupon, equivalent to around ₹58, as compensation, according to the South China Morning Post.
The passenger, surnamed Li, had booked a ride on April 5 using HelloRide, a ride-hailing app owned by Alibaba. Her journey, from Foshan to Luoding in southern China’s Guangdong province, spanned around 180 kilometres and typically takes about two hours.
According to Li, the nightmare began when she noticed the driver had both hands off the steering wheel and was completely reliant on the car’s autopilot function, even while travelling at speeds of 120 to 130 km per hour on the highway. She described the experience as “scary,” adding that the driver remained in the fast lane throughout the journey and even appeared to be sleepy at times.
Since she was the only passenger in the car, Li said she didn’t feel safe confronting the male driver. Instead, she kept a close watch on the road herself and secretly recorded the situation on her phone. She later lodged a complaint with HelloRide and reported the incident to local traffic police.
Compensation
The company’s response, however, shocked her even more. Li was told that the driver had been “warned” and was offered a mere 5-yuan ( ₹58) coupon as compensation for a journey that had cost her 270 yuan (around ₹3,120).
“I was lucky to be alive,” Li said, and many on social media echoed her sentiment.
“She should have stopped him. Accidents at the speed of 130km per hour could be fatal,” one user commented.
“Another case of over-reliance on a car’s autopilot mode. Drivers who disregard passenger safety should not be permitted to operate,” said another.
“The five-yuan coupon compensation is a joke,” added a third.
This incident emerged just days after a tragic case in which three young women were killed in a crash reportedly involving a driver who relied on assisted driving at night and failed to keep her hands on the wheel. The vehicle crashed into a concrete fence and caught fire after a passenger attempted to regain control. The case remains under investigation.
The series of incidents has reignited concerns in China about the use—and misuse—of advanced driver-assistance technology. Several drivers have reportedly been caught sleeping or using their phones while letting vehicles drive autonomously.
On April 2, another woman from Jiangsu province complained that her driver was casually trimming his nails while the car was in self-drive mode.
