US sues Uber for overcharging disabled riders with ‘wait time’ fees

Washington: The US government has accused Uber of discriminating against disabled customers who need extra time to enter vehicles with so-called wait time fees, the Justice Department said in a lawsuit.

“The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Uber violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination by private transportation companies like Uber,” the department said in a press release explaining the complaint.

Passengers with disabilities may need additional time to enter a car, to break down a wheelchair for example. A blind person may need extra time to safely walk from the pickup location to the car, the release said.

The complaint alleges that Uber violates the ADA by failing to reasonably modify its wait time fee policy for passengers who, because of disability, need more than two minutes to get in an Uber car, the release added.

In April 2016, Uber began charging passengers wait time fees in a number of cities, eventually expanding the policy nationwide. Wait time fees start two minutes after the Uber car arrives at the pickup location and are charged until the car begins its trip, according to the release. (UNI)