Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Lyft Rolls Out Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles In LA

On-demand, ride sharing service Lyft said on Tuesday that it has rolled out a new fleet of wheelchair accessible vehicles, in Los Angeles, as well as San Francisco. According to Lyft, it new "wheelchair accessible vehicle" (WAV) pilot will provide transportation for fixed frame, non-collapsible wheelchair users, using 2019 Toyota Siennas. Lyft did not say how many of the wheelchair accessible vehicles it will operate in Los Angeles County. The new vehicles are being made available in a partnership with First Transit, a provider of paratransit services. Lyft said users who enable "Access MOde" will be picked up by certified drivers provided by First Transit. The avaiability of the service looks to be part of an effort to respond to criticism that on-demand ride services, like Lyft, Uber, and others, are negatively impacting public transit riders, especially those with wheelchairs, because most of the vehicles in the Lyft and Uber fleets cannot transport wheelchairs.

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