The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) over alleged discrimination against disabled passengers on its platform.
Routinely Refusing Disabled Passengers, DoJ Says
The lawsuit, filed at the San Francisco Federal Court on Thursday by the DoJ, alleges that drivers on the Uber platform routinely refuse to serve riders with disabilities, including riders with service animals and wheelchairs, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing the court filing.
Uber did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
"Uber’s discriminatory conduct has caused significant economic, emotional, and physical harm to individuals with disabilities," the filing said, while alleging that drivers on the platform demanded cleaning fees for service animals as well as cancellation fees for riders who were denied the service. Some riders were also allegedly insulted and demeaned, or refused reasonable accommodations.
Uber has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the DoJ said. The filing cited 17 individuals who have alleged mistreatment, including a 7-year-old amputee who was allegedly denied access to an Uber ride in the Bronx after the driver realized he was in a wheelchair. The DoJ sought an injunction barring Uber from further violations, as well as monetary damages.
Uber earlier released a statement saying that it denied the allegations, saying that disabled riders "deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber -full stop. We have a clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials."
Uber's Blade Mobility Partnership, Cash Payments
The news comes as Uber recently announced a partnership with Joby Aviation Inc. (NASDAQ:JOBY), to offer Blade Mobility flights on the Uber platform starting in 2026. The news follows Joby's acquisition of Blade's passenger business earlier this year.
The platform also recently announced it will begin accepting cash payments for rides in the U.S., something which it already does in overseas markets like India and Brazil. Uber's announcement has been met with mixed reactions, with some drivers expressing safety concerns following the decision.
Uber's Robotaxi Push
Meanwhile, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi had questioned Tesla Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) camera-only approach to autonomous driving, saying that it would be very difficult to develop a safe system without incorporating LiDAR.
Interestingly, Tesla recently rolled out the Robotaxi app on the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) App Store, which reportedly outpaced Uber app's 30-day rolling period downloads by 40%.
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