Uber will pay over $2 million to disabled riders after federal settlement

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Department of Justice said in a press release on Monday that it had reached a settlement with the ride-sharing company. As part of the agreement, the company will double the total wait fees issued to the 65,000 disabled riders already identified by their programs and commit more than $2 million to funds for other affected individuals.

When a passenger takes more than two minutes to board the car, additional fees are added. The fees affect riders with physical disabilities more than other riders.

The fees themselves are usually under a dollar, but they were argued to contribute to a broader system of discrimination. A woman who has a disabling spine injury was required to board a vehicle for five minutes or more. She felt like a second-class citizen because of the run of wait fees.

Equal accommodations for disabled users are a priority for the company. Carissa said they were happy to have reached the agreement. We work to improve accessibility for all users and encourage riders with a disability to use our self-declaration form to have wait time fees waive.

Through the help system, affected users can apply for refunds or waivers.

The settlement protects the company from future disability claims, but it isn't the only one. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires transportation systems built after 1990 to provide equal access. The law requires that the availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles be ensured.

Shortly before the Department of Justice lawsuit was filed, the ride-sharing company instituted a program to reimburse disabled riders who have been hit with wait fees, but it was too late to avoid the suit. The settlement requires that the wait waivers be continued as long as the wait fee policy is in place.

In order to avoid discrimination in terms of which rides are accepted, it will be necessary to keep that information hidden. The settlement states that the company will not share information regarding whether a rider's account is exempt from wait time fees with drivers.