Uber to Pay $2.2m to Disabled Riders

Uber has agreed to pay more than $2 million (£1.68 million) to settle US government claims that its wait time fees discriminated against customers with disabilities. In the future, the company has agreed to waive fees for disabled users.

More than 1,000 people had complained about the fees, which frequently apply if it takes longer than two minutes to get into the car. Uber stated that it refunds wait fees for disabled riders. In the settlement agreement, the ride-hailing company denied any wrongdoing.

"It has long been our policy to refund wait time fees for disabled riders when they alerted us that they were charged," the company said, adding that it had made changes prior to the lawsuit to have disabled riders' wait time fees waived automatically when Uber is notified that they were charged.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in November by the US Department of Justice, Uber began charging wait time fees in some cities in 2016, eventually expanding the practice. According to the company, the average fee was less than 60 cents.

Under the terms of the agreement, Uber agreed to pay more than $1.7 million to approximately 1,000 riders who complained, as well as an additional $500,000 to some people identified by the company.