Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (SHP)

Mumbai, Mar 3: A Uber customer reportedly drove from Pune to Mumbai after the cab driver drifted off to sleep, possibly jeopardizing both their lives. Taking cognisance of the matter and to prevent any fatalities, the Uber customer Tejaswini Divya Naik took over the driving.

It is not uncommon for drivers to be tired and sleepy after being on long shifts with duty times exceeding 12-14 hours on some days, majorly in big cities.

The horror of meeting with a deadly accident caused the 28-year-old Naik to move to the driving seat of the car.

Naik booked an Uber at about 1 pm and for a while, but, the driver showed no signs of fatigue. But soon, she noticed the driver was nodding and frequently shaking his head to somehow keep himself awake.

Moments later, he swerved across the road to the left and almost hit an oncoming car on the road. At that point, Naik realised the driver was in no condition to drive the vehicle. She checked on him and found that he had completely fallen asleep. This was happening when the vehicle was still in motion. Naik managed to wake the driver and he somehow managed to get the car back on the right lane.

She then asked the driver to hit the breaks at the side of the road and convinced him to let her drive.

"I had to convince him for about the next five mins to stop the car to let me drive. I told him that I don't have any issues driving and I love to drive," Naik was quoted in a report by LadBible.

Once Naik reached her destination, she refused to pay for her ride and also contacted Uber via Twitter and Instagram. However, she claimed the company only apologised and did not compensate her.

Naik said a company's response team asked her to file a First Information Report (FIR) with the police to claim compensation.