Justice Department Sues Uber For Overcharging Disabled Passengers

On Wednesday, the United States Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc. for overcharging customers with disabilities. The complaint asks the court to order Uber to change its wait time fee policy to be ADA compliant. 

Uber began charging wait time fees in select cities back in 2016, eventually expanding them nationwide. Wait time fees kick after the driver has been waiting for two minutes. 

The complaint accuses the rideshare company of failing to accommodate passengers with disabilities that might require additional time to get in a car. It argues that people who are blind, use a wheelchair or a walker, for example, may require more than two minutes to get in the far. 

“People with disabilities deserve equal access to all areas of community life, including the private transportation services provided by companies like Uber,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a press release. “This lawsuit seeks to bring Uber into compliance with the mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act while sending a powerful message that Uber cannot penalize passengers with disabilities simply because they need more time to get into a car.”

In addition to changing their wait time policy, the suit asks that Uber train its staff and drivers on the ADA, pay damages to people the wait time fee has affected, and pay a civil penalty.