PUNE: In the afternoon of February 21, an advertising professional had to herself drive a

cab on the

all the way home after she noticed the sleepy driver nodding at the wheel and almost getting involved in two accidents. Twelve days on, the cab aggregator is yet to get back to her about the final outcome of her complaint, she says.

The woman (name withheld) in her late 20s lives in

, Mumbai. She told TOI that she had come to Wanowrie in Pune to visit her parents who stay there and had booked the Uber outstation cab to return to Mumbai. "I am still pursuing the matter and want Uber to take responsibility for the incident. I am still scared of booking a cab," she said.

In an email response to a detailed query sent by TOI, a Uber spokesperson said, "This is a regrettable and concerning incident. Upon learning about this, the driver partner's access to the app has been suspended."

The woman said, "I was travelling with a lot of luggage, including four bags and my laptop. As the cab hit the expressway around 1pm, I noticed that the driver (name withheld) was dozing off. I politely told him to drive carefully and also started a conversation with my father on my cellphone. However, just after crossing the first toll plaza, the car swerved on two occasions - once almost hitting ar car and then the road divider."

The woman said she managed to regain her composure soon. She said she had thought of cancelling the ride while on the expressway, but felt it would be difficulty to get another cab.

"I convinced the driver that I would take the wheel while he could take a nap. I told him I was good at driving and told him to stop by the roadside. He agreed and got into the passenger's seat next to the driver's," she said.

"The driver, instead of sleeping, started talking on his phone and also began complimenting me on my driving skills. I urged him to sleep, informing him that I had a back problem and that he would have to take over again as I wouldn't be able to drive for long. Once he fell asleep, I drove the cab to Andheri. He woke up 20 minutes before I could reach home," she said.

The advertising professional said she did not want to create a scene in the car. "Once I got off, I gave him a piece of my mind. He retorted saying that he had come to Pune from Mumbai around 4am with a passenger and had not slept since. I asked him why he had accepted my trip in the first place," she said. "Uber doesn't accept any mode of payment other than cash for outstation trips. The driver ended the trip on the app but I didn't pay anything," she said.

The woman said she tried to file a complaint on the Uber app but could not locate an option to write the details of her experience. She then took to Twitter.

"I messaged Uber on Twitter and Instagram and got a reply that it was being looked into. The next day, an Uber representative called me saying the matter was being escalated. He said it was a rare case and promised action. They did not contact me thereafter," she said.