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US ride-hailing service: Uber
Photo: Mark Lennihan/ AP
The US ride-hailing service Uber is paying millions of dollars in compensation to tens of thousands of customers with disabilities.
The company agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit alleging discrimination, the US Department of Justice said.
The procedure was about "waiting fees" that passengers with disabilities had to pay because they needed more time to board.
Since 2016, Uber has charged a driver if a driver waits more than two minutes for a passenger to board.
The US Department of Justice saw this as illegal discrimination against people with disabilities, some of whom need more time to board.
In November, the ministry therefore filed a lawsuit against the car service provider in a California court.
As part of the settlement, Uber will issue credits to more than 65,000 riders for twice the amount of the requested waiting fee.
The company is also paying more than $1.7 million to passengers who complained about the fare.
“People with disabilities shouldn't feel like second-class citizens or be penalized because of their disabilities.
But that's exactly what Uber has done with its waiting fee policy," said Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department.
Uber said it was "pleased" with the comparison.
The company announced that new rules had already been introduced beforehand.
Accordingly, the waiting fees for passengers with disabilities are now automatically eliminated.
jpa/afp