Uber to offer wheelchair-accessible car service

Uber, the ride-sharing company that matches riders with drivers by smartphone app, will now provide connections to wheelchair-accessible vehicles in Philadelphia, it said Monday.

Uber has contracted with licensed paratransit drivers who have accessible vehicles, and customers can begin using the service immediately, Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett said Monday.

The announcement came one day before a legislative committee is to meet in Harrisburg to consider legislation that would permit Uber and other ride-share services to operate in Philadelphia and around the state.

One of the complaints against Uber by Philadelphia taxi operators has been that Uber does not provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The Philadelphia Parking Authority, which regulates taxis in the city, is issuing 45 medallions for accessible minivan cabs this year, with 150 to be issued over the next seven years.

Currently, there are only seven accessible cabs in the 1,600-cab fleet in Philadelphia.

"We're very excited about the development," said Thomas Earle, chief executive of Liberty Resources Inc., a nonprofit advocacy group for people with disabilities, who had a preview of the Uber service Friday. "Uber's entry into the market is very welcome. . . . It's an innovative approach to filling the gap.

"I'm blind, I don't drive, and I've used Uber a number of times. We're very excited to see it expanded."

Uber said it has contracted with drivers who have certificates issued by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, since the Parking Authority does not have authority over paratransit services.

That would allow Uber to operate the service without regulation by the Parking Authority, which has opposed UberX, the separate ride-sharing service using private vehicles, as an illegal taxi service.

Uber has a brokerage license issued by the PUC that allows it to "arrange transportation" in Pennsylvania. Uber has been using the brokerage license to operate its Uber Black service in Philadelphia, which permits customers to use an app to summon a black SUV limousine.

The same brokerage license, for which Uber paid the PUC a one-time fee of $350, can be used by the company to arrange the wheelchair-accessible rides, PUC spokeswoman Jennifer Kocher said.

Drivers must be certified by the PUC, which inspects their vehicles and requires them to maintain insurance.

Instructions on acquiring and using the service are available at: http://blog.uber.com/phillyWAV#vehicles