Uber gets a wheelchair-friendly option in London
LONDON -- Uber has just launched its first wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) car in London: uberWAV.
From 4 p.m. Tuesday, wheelchair users in the city can request a wheelchair accessible private car by hitting the new uberWAV option on the Uber app.
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Developed with support from accessibility organisations Scope, Whizz-Kidz and London's Transport for All, the uberWAV vehicles are fitted with a rear-entry ramp, a winch and restraints.
UberWAV drivers have received Disability Equality Training to ensure customer care, etiquette and appropriate language meet the standards of disability organisations, the ride-sharing service said in a press release.
When asked about the number of cars available, a spokesperson for Uber told Mashable that it is launching the service with 55 vehicles, and plans to expand to have more than 100 vehicles on uberWAV in the coming months.
While Uber has pledged to keep waiting times to a minimum, average wait times in the service's first few weeks are expected to be around 25 minutes in zones one and two and 40 minutes in zones three and four -- not ideal if you need to get somewhere in a hurry.
With only one in four London Underground stations accessible to wheelchairs, London's transport network has long been subject to criticism for its lack of accessibility. However, all licensed London black cabs are already wheelchair accessible and come fully equipped with accessibility features.
“We are pleased that Uber is launching a new service for disabled customers. Accessible transport is absolutely vital for many disabled people and can help drive down the extra costs they face," Lisa Quinlan-Rahman -- Director of External Affairs at Scope -- said in a statement.
"Disabled people want to have the same choice as all other consumers in London, and have the same options available on method of travel, time and price,” Quinlan-Rahman continued.
UberWAV is only available in Greater London, and costs the same rate as uberX; Uber's standard rate.
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Topics Uber
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
