Who Will Fare Better—Disabled Passengers Using Uber or Lyft?

Successful rideshare businesses seem to require one-part basic etiquette, two parts business strategy and of course, a customer in need of the product.  Here’s TravelAbility’s take on how both companies are meeting both short and long-term demand from people with disabilities:

OUR TAKE ON UBER The company has started to make drivers aware of the proper etiquette, offering a video and tips from Open Doors that seems easy to review and remember. That hasn’t protected them from lawsuits, however. Wheelchair users, in particular, are suing the company for discrimination, saying there are not enough rides available to serve them. These suits are non-monetary and meant to raise awareness. READ MORE

At the 2019 M-Enabling conference in Washington, D.C., panelist Malcom Glenn, head of Global Policy, Accessibility and Underserved Communities at Uber said the company is focused on boosting the number of accessible vehicles they have on the road. As for their future plans, they are particularly excited about the huge potential of self-driving cars to help give people with disabilities newfound independence.

OUR TAKE ON LYFT The company has added Access Mode to their app. In certain markets, disabled passengers can book a ride that suits their needs. (If Lyft can’t accommodate a passenger, they offer referrals to comparable services nearby. LYFT is (very strategically) also meeting passengers where they are, including the growing healthcare market. Lyft partners with hospitals, senior centers and other care facilities to offer rides to appointments and errands and sees the healthcare market as an ecosystem that is good for patients and good for business. Lyft says it curtails no shows a doctors’ offices and reduces cost by 32% on average. READ MORE

Here is an additional piece on how Uber and Lyft are overhauling their Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle Programs.