Uber will pay over $2 million to disabled riders after federal settlement - The Verge
A 2021 lawsuit alleged that Uber’s wait fee policy was discriminating against disabled riders, sparking the company’s wait waiver program.
Uber has settled with the Department of Justice over allegations that it discriminated against disabled passengers, the DOJ announced in a press release on Monday. As part of the agreement, Uber will credit double the total wait fees issued to the 65,000 disabled riders already identified by Uber’s programs and commit more than $2 million to funds for other affected individuals.
The claims center on Uber’s wait fee policy, which adds additional fees when a passenger takes more than two minutes to board the car. Disabled riders have long objected to the policy, claiming the fees disproportionately affect riders with physical disabilities.
While the fees themselves are typically under a dollar, plaintiffs argued they contributed to a broader system of discrimination. The lawsuit mentions a 52-year-old Florida woman who, because of a disabling spinal injury, routinely required five minutes or longer to board a vehicle. As a result, she incurred a running string of wait fees, which “makes [her] feel like a second-class citizen,” the lawsuit states.
Reached for comment, Uber emphasized its commitment to equal accommodations for disabled users. “We’re pleased to have reached this agreement,” said Uber representative Carissa Simons. “We are always working to improve accessibility for all users and encourage riders with a disability to utilize our self-declaration form to have wait time fees waived.”
Affected Uber users can apply for a wait fee refund or waiver through Uber’s help system.
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