Mumbai: NRI Passenger Cheated by Taxi Driver at Airport, Charged ₹2,800 for 10-Minute Ride

An incident of overcharging by a taxi driver has come to light at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. A Non-Resident Indian (NRI), who had just arrived in the city, was forced to pay ₹2,800 for a mere 10-minute ride to Vile Parle.

According to an official from Sahar Police Station, the incident occurred on December 15. D. Vijay, an NRI originally from Nagpur and currently residing in Australia, landed at Mumbai airport late at night. Vijay stated in his complaint that as soon as he stepped out of the airport, a cab driver named Vinod Goswami approached him. Using a fake app, Goswami allegedly tricked him into paying an inflated fare.

After realizing he had been duped, Vijay reported the matter to the Sahar police via email, providing the cab driver’s mobile number. He also inquired at his hotel, where the staff informed him that their pick-up service charges only ₹700 for the same distance.

Following the complaint, the police tracked down Goswami within 12 hours using his phone number and seized his vehicle. Goswami had even given Vijay his contact details, urging him to call if he needed a ride in the future.

An officer revealed that plain-clothes policemen have been deployed at the airport to prevent such incidents. Over the past two days, nine cab drivers have been penalized for overcharging passengers.

In another similar case earlier this month, Mumbai Police arrested an autorickshaw driver in Sangli for charging excessive fares to a 19-year-old passenger.

Authorities have urged passengers to remain vigilant and report any such incidents immediately.