In Hyderabad city I booked Meru cab no. AP28VA1457 for a journey from Erra Gadda to Shamshabad Airport with Ref. No. 26434210. Cab was booked for my elderly uncle who had come from Tirupati and had to catch 8:00pm flight for Saudi. Since the cab was called at 3:00pm, we had 5hr window to safely reach the airport. People who know Hyderabad roads would know that this is a 1hr. 36 km journey which goes via Erra Gadda – S R Nagar – Ameerpet – Punjagutta – Nagarjuna Circle – Masab Tank – Mehndipatnam – PVNR Expressway – Shamshabad Airpot. I had given a chit to my uncle explaining the route.
Upon reaching the airport my uncle called me to tell his ordeal. After sitting in cab, driver asked him which route he should take to drop him airport (why would a cab driver ask passenger of routes?). My uncle explained him the route which I had given him on chit. After some time when he noticed road-sign boards as Gachibowli he questioned driver that this name does not appear in the route list and where is he taking him.
The driver gave him an excuse that the other route was busy due to metro work so he is taking through new and shorter route. By the time this argument was going-on, car was on the secluded Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch. Here the driver pulled car on a side and told my uncle he better keep quiet or he will dump him with his luggage. My elderly uncle was no match to the rowdy driver.
For his life’s safety and that of his luggage he kept quiet till he reached airport. This route was 47.5km long, a 11.5km more than normal route and goes via deserted outskirts of the city. Since yesterday I have been trying to call Meru no. 44224422 but nobody picks call when you press #4 for feedback.
My mail to online@merucabs.com remains unanswered. Even my attempts to connect today on the phone were in vain since nobody picks call on feedback option. Waiting time on booking option was 7 minutes and by the 5th minute call drops.