The Department of Justice is suing Uber Technologies
For Uber riders in major cities, "wait time" fees serve as a lingering threat for anyone that keeps their driver waiting longer than a few minutes. According to the DoJ's filings, Uber discriminated against passengers who "because of disability, require more time than that allotted by Uber to board the vehicle" by charging them for that time. The DoJ alleges specifically that Uber has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Passed in 1990, the ADA attempts to limit discrimination of disabled citizens through various regulations, including provisions on transportation. The ADA is why public transport is uniformly equipped to provide for disabled passengers and why taxi companies employ special cabs to transport handicapped passengers. Despite operating a fleet made mainly of privately owned vehicles, the same requirements apply to Uber, as the DoJ asserts in its filings.
"As Uber and other similar providers have gained popularity over traditional taxi services as the primary option for on-demand transportation, Uber plays an important role in ensuring independence for countless people with disabilities who choose to - or simply must - rely on its services to travel," the DoJ said.
The DoJ's lawsuit seems to fall in line with the Biden administration's tougher stance against tech. The President's push comes as part of a greater bipartisan effort to rein in big tech companies, from the tapping well-known antitrust lawyer Jonathan Kanter to head the DoJ's antitrust division to the DoJ's other ongoing lawsuits.
Uber shares slid on news of the lawsuit, dropping 3.4% on Wednesday last week. Investors seem to have calmed down, as the decline slowed on Thursday to a 0.18% decrease and recovered 4.2% on Friday.
