DOJ suing Uber for charging people with disabilities more for ‘wait times’
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice is targeting Uber for overcharging people with disabilities who need more time to get into the car.
According to the DOJ, Uber is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination by private transportation companies.
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In 2016, Uber began charging people a wait-time fee if they didn’t make it to their ride within two minutes of its arrival.
The complaint highlights two individuals – a woman in Florida who relies on a wheelchair, and a man with cerebral palsy who can walk short distances but relies on a wheelchair for mobility.
The DOJ believes Uber doesn’t give drivers discretion related to wait-time fees.
Nor can drivers waive the fee. The result is discrimination against riders who may need more than two minutes to reach their ride.
"They're not really saying the policy is specifically designed to discriminate, let's say, intentionally with disabilities. Rather what they're saying is the generic policy about wait time whether it's valid or not as to other people, winds up discriminating against people with disabilities, particularly mobility disabilities, where there's no discretion about well is the person just dawdling or are they trying to get to the car as quickly as they can as safely as they can," said American University Law School Professor Bob Dinerstein.
The allegations have not yet been proven – a judge will have to examine the complaint made by the DOJ first.
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The DOJ is asking the judge to order Uber to change its policy, but they also want the company to pay for damages to the individuals harmed by the policy and to pay a fine for essentially breaking the law.
The DOJ is also asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of discrimination by Uber because of a disability to call them at (833) 591-0925.