Uber drivers accused of snubbing blind, ditching dog in trunk
Uber Technologies Inc. drivers have refused to transport blind people who use guide dogs, an advocacy group claimed in a civil rights lawsuit that cites one instance of a dog being forced into the trunk.
Blind riders with service animals are refused service, charged cancellation fees and harassed, the National Federation of the Blind of California alleged in a complaint filed yesterday in San Francisco federal court.
One driver in Sacramento put a passenger's guide dog in the trunk while transporting her, and refused to pull over after the customer realized where the animal was, according to the complaint, which named the company as a defendant.
Drivers typically refuse blind passengers at pickup when they see service animals, the group claimed. More than 30 blind customers nationwide have been refused rides in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and California civil rights laws, according to the suit.
"The Uber app is built to expand access to transportation options for all, including users with visual impairments and other disabilities," Eva Behrend, a spokeswoman for San Francisco-based Uber, said by e-mail. "It is Uber's policy that any driver partner that refuses to transport a service animal will be deactivated from the Uber platform."
The lawsuit comes as Uber, Lyft Inc. and other car-booking companies are seeking to crack open the U.S. taxi and limousine market, estimated by IbisWorld Research to be an $11 billion industry. Uber, maker of the ride-hailing mobile application, connects its registered drivers with riders through the app, which is also used for credit card payments. The company, founded in 2009, takes a cut of the fares booked through the system.
Uber landed a $17 billion valuation in a June financing while facing regulatory hurdles and protests by taxi drivers' lobbies in the U.S. and abroad.
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The company allegedly told some riders that it can't control driver conduct because they are independent contractors, and advised guide dog users to let drivers know about the animals ahead of time, according to the complaint.
The federation claimed the company closely monitors and controls interactions between drivers and customers, and can adopt and enforce policies to prevent discrimination against blind people with service animals.
The federation seeks a court order declaring the company discriminates against blind customers with guide dogs, and forcing it to take steps to ensure that drivers don't refuse rides to the vision-impaired.
The case is National Federation of the Blind of California v. Uber Technologies Inc., 14-cv-04086, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).