KYLE, Texas — A settlement agreement has been reached in the City of Kyle to make the City's reduced-fare transportation available for people with disabilities, according to U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas.
Under the "Uber Kyle $3.14 Program," residents and visitors can travel throughout the city in an UberX vehicle for as little as $3.14. Those with disabilities can use the program and request wheelchair accessible vehicles by using the UberWAV platform.
The U.S. Attorney's Office opened an investigation into the program back in 2020 to see if it complied with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The investigation discovered significant differences between the availability of UberX and UberWAV vehicles in Kyle.
The investigation revealed that more than 40% of the time, UberWAV vehicles were not available and also that the vehicles required longer wait times as opposed to UberX vehicles.
It was also documented that a complaint was made to the City by a resident who uses a wheelchair. The resident shed light on the lack of accessible vehicles in the program, which led the City to supply more wheelchair accessible vehicles to the program.
Under the settlement, the City will also be required to increase the availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles, track response time for people who request wheelchair accessible vehicles, compare that response time to non-wheelchair accessible vehicles' response times and advertise any improvements made to the program across the City's website and Twitter account.
“In the Western District of Texas, people with disabilities must be able to count on accessible transportation service that is equal to the service provided to others,” U.S. Attorney Hoff said. “We commend the City’s collaborative approach to promoting equal access for Kyle residents with disabilities.”
For more information about the ADA or the settlement agreement, you can call the ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 or visit the ADA website.
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