The ride-hailing app Uber has been sued by the US Justice Department for overcharging disabled people. The justice department claimed that uber is charging“wait time” fees from disabled passengers.
The US Justice Department (DoJ) said that disabled passengers need more than two minutes to get into a car and this extra fee is creating discrimination against disabled passengers. It also says Uber has to respect the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and comply with their charge with this act. However, Uber completely deny this claim and said wait time fees were not intended to apply to disabled riders.
The assistant attorney general for the DoJ’s civil rights division, Kristen Clarke said that the lawsuit will send a “powerful message that Uber cannot penalize passengers with disabilities simply because they need more time to get into a car”.
Kristen also mentioned that Uber and other companies should provide transportation services. She added, “must ensure equal access for all people, including those with disabilities.” However, Uber said it disagreed that its policies were in violation of the ADA.
A spokesman of Uber said that this lawsuit is “surprising and disappointing”. Uber also mentioned that wait time fees were “never intended for riders who are ready at their designated pickup location but need more time to get into the car”. Then he added, “After a recent change last week, now any rider who certifies they are disabled will have fees automatically waived.”