Disability rights supporters are suing Lyft for allegedly not providing wheelchair-accessible vehicles in the Bay Area.
The proposed class-action suit was filed Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court by Berkeley’s Disability Rights Advocates, San Francisco’s Independent Living Resource Center and two people who use wheelchairs.
The suit resembles a suit the groups filed last month against Uber. Both cases point to the increasing importance of ride-hailing as a transportation option and allege that Uber and Lyft are violating antidiscrimination laws.
“Lyft provides a vital service in the Bay Area, and many of our consumers who use wheelchairs are simply excluded from it because Lyft has done nothing to make its service accessible to them,” said Jessie Lorenz, executive director of the Independent Living Resource Center, in a statement.
In a press statement Lyft said it is committed to expanding transportation options for underserved populations and that about 7 percent of its passengers report living with a disability. The firm says it has joined forces with groups serving deaf and blind people.
Neither case seeks money, sans attorney’s fees and costs. Instead, the plaintiffs want Lyft and Uber to provide a comprehensive solution to accommodate wheelchair and other mobility challenged customers.
