LYFT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE FULL

Some Wall Street analysts have already started their coverage of Lyft and think investors could be undervaluing the company.ĭan Ives, of Wedbush Securities, initiated his coverage of Lyft on Wednesday with a neutral rating, but with an $80-a-share price target on the company’s stock. The company is expected to offer 30.77 million shares at $62 to $68 a share when it starts trading under the symbol LYFT. Meanwhile, Lyft continued preparing for its IPO on Friday. Lyft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the suit. “We will hold them accountable until they comply with their obligation to provide equal access.” “Lyft knows its service discriminates against people who use wheelchairs, and it has had plenty of time and resources to fix this problem,” said Melissa Riess, a staff attorney at Disability Rights Advocates who represents the plaintiffs in the case. In the suit, the plaintiffs cited multiple examples of times when they were either unable to use or chose not to use Lyft’s services due to the inability of being able to get a ride in a vehicle that was wheelchair accessible. The plaintiffs in the case include Community Resources for Independent Living, Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco, and four Bay Area individuals who use wheelchairs: Judith Smith, Julie Fuller, Sascha Bittner and Tara Ayres. The suit, filed last week in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, doesn’t seek any monetary damages, but wants Lyft to modify its policies and practices to include ready access to wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) for riders who need such services. The Disability Rights Association asserts that Lyft has failed to make its drivers’ vehicles accessible to riders with wheelchairs. They only seek to compel Lyft into improving accessibility and coming up with a proper solution for wheelchair-using passengers.Just days before Lyft’s initial public offering, the ride-hailing company is facing a class-action lawsuit over accessibility. Wheelchair-accessible Ubers are rarely, if ever, available.'ĭisability Rights Advocates and the people they represent aren't asking Lyft for money (aside from attorney's fees, of course). Bus service is often slow and may not take riders where they need to go. For instance, many parts of the BART system are inaccessible due to elevator outages. 'Lyft's discrimination compounds what is already a major societal problem - extremely limited transportation options for people who use wheelchairs in the Bay Area.

Problem is, paratransits and public transpo aren't always equipped for wheelchair access, which is why passengers with mobility issues sometimes have no choice but to rely on ride-hailing services. If you need a vehicle with a ramp or lift, visit to connect to local services.'Ĭlearly, passengers who can't get out or into their wheelchair on their own will have to look elsewhere. 'Lyft accommodates service animals and foldable wheelchairs. TechCrunch tried hailing a vehicle through Access and was able to replicate the text message that said: That spokesperson was likely talking about Lyft's program called Access, which was designed to serve people with disabilities - and which the lawsuit calls a 'sham.' According to the plaintiffs, when riders activate Access mode and hail a car, Lyft sends them a text message 'stating that has no wheelchair-accessible vehicles available' and provides them 'with a list of public transit, paratransit and taxicab phone numbers' instead.

LYFT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE FULL

The lawsuit accuses Lyft of violating the Unruh Civil Rights Act, which says people with disabilities are entitled to full and equal accommodations, and of the California Disabled Persons Act.Ī spokesperson defended Lyft in a statement to TechCrunch, saying that the firm has 'partnerships and programs in place to provide enhanced WAV (wheelchair-accessible vehicle) access in various parts of the country, and are actively exploring ways to expand them nationwide.' Non-profit org Disability Rights Advocates has filed a class-action lawsuit against the company on behalf of Independent Living Resource Center and two wheelchair users in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Uber was sued at least thrice over the past year for failing to accommodate passengers with wheelchairs, but a new lawsuit proves that it's not the only ride-hailing service with poor accessibility.

Lyft wheelchair accessible