Discrimination in Uber? US Department of Justice sues mobility service provider

New York. The US government is suing mobility services company Uber for discrimination against people with disabilities.

In the lawsuit filed in California on Wednesday, the Department of Justice said Uber charges fees when drivers have to wait for passengers to get in their cars. However, people with disabilities may need more time to ride in a car.

Uber in the US charges a wait time of two minutes after the driver arrives and charges them until the car starts its journey. The company filed the fees in several US cities in April 2016, according to the Department of Justice. After that it spread to all countries.

Uber does not adjust its fees

The department said in its lawsuit that Uber violated the Disability Protection Act by failing to adjust its fees for those who need more time to ride an Uber. The fee is also charged if the driver knows that the customer is down.

Uber said Wednesday it has been in touch with the Department of Justice and was surprised and disappointed by the lawsuit. “A waiting fee is levied on all passengers to compensate drivers after waiting for two minutes, but it was not intended for passengers who are at the pickup location but who need more time to get into the car,” the company said. Since last week, the fee has been waived automatically for each passenger who confirms that they have a disability.

The lawsuit asked the court to order Uber to change its commercial policy, train its employees and drivers, and pay compensation to passengers who illegally had to pay waiting time fees.