The federal government is suing Uber, saying it discriminates against people with disabilities by charging a fee when drivers have to wait for passengers to board their vehicles.
Uber’s “wait time” fee begins two minutes after the driver arrives, and is charged until the car begins the journey. According to the Justice Department, Uber added fees in some cities in April 2016. Eventually, they spread across the country.
In its lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Northern California, the Justice Department says Uber is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to revise its fees for people who need to get into an Uber car. Additional time may be required.
The lawsuit alleges that Uber took the fees even when it knew the delay was based on disability.
Uber said Wednesday it is in active discussions with the Justice Department and is shocked and disappointed by the lawsuit.
“The wait time fee is charged to all riders to compensate drivers after a two-minute wait, but was never meant for riders who are ready at their designated pick-up location,” Uber said in a statement. It takes more time to get into the car.” ,
“Refund Policy”
Uber said its policy is to refund wait time fees for disabled riders whenever they alert the company that they have been replaced. The company said that as of last week, any rider who certifies they are disabled will automatically have the fee waived. The San Francisco-based company says the average wait time fee charged to riders is less than 60 cents.
“We fundamentally disagree that our policies violate the ADA and will continue to improve our products so that everyone can easily move around in their communities,” Uber said.
The lawsuit asks the court to order Uber to change its policy, train its employees and drivers, and pay monetary damages to people subject to wait time fees that violate the ADA. It also wants Uber to pay the civil penalty.
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