Being Responsible. Your Turn.

Two Ola Cab Drivers have raped and murdered a twelve year old child in Kolkata. The girl was forced into the taxi by Shankar Shaw and Guddu Singh, where they took turns to rape her, following which they strangled her and threw her off the bridge. The child’s body was found in the canal.

Both the drivers were reported to be drunk and have said that they were out to have fun.
Both have been arrested.

Sickened, shocked, horrified.

This isn’t a first.

Ola sent in a statement
via ndtv source

"We are saddened by the reports of the alleged misbehaviour of a driver in Kolkata. On preliminary identification of the cab details shared by authorities, we have suspended the account associated with this cab with immediate effect. As per our records, this incident has not occurred while on the Ola platform. We will work with the authorities to share any information that will help support their investigation."

To All Taxi Companies,

To Whom It May Concern

To Ola

1. What measures are you taking to ensure safety of  all women , girls, children, individuals? To place an emergency button is to say , “ we did our job”, and frankly that’s doing nothing, or help us understand what it is doing/ has done so far.
2. Do you invest in training ? If yes, we would like to know more.
3. Employ and invest in women drivers, ‘Action Hero Drivers’, not in pink taxis, not for women by women, but for all. Envision. Initiate. Empower.
4. Own up to a lack of focus and responsibility in this territory beyond calling incidents of violence, rape and murder, as ‘saddening’ , and or ‘unfortunate’. This isn’t about one incident or three. This is about an attitudinal shift, systemic change. This is a long path. Commit to a collective vision for a safe and inclusive world. You have the potential to make immense contribution, if you can see it too.
5. If business language is most easily heard, here goes: you lose out on women customers if they don’t trust your service.

Blank Noise Team