Following in Uber's foot steps, Lyft expands wheelchair accessible rides in SF and LA

We can only guess that when ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft were each served with a federal lawsuit over the lack of service available to those with mobility challenges, they finally came around to putting some thought and resources to remedy the issue and though it is an extremely small step, Lyft announced it has partnered with First Transit, a large transportation company, for a pilot program providing Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV) when using the Lyft app.

The Lyft app allows passengers with accessibility needs to request one of these vehicles by enabling the Access Mode by tapping the Menu icon and then Settings. You can then slide the toggle to the right to enable wheelchair access and request a WAV that is specially outfitted to accommodate fixed frame or non-collapsible wheelchairs. First Transit will provide the WAVs which are 2019 Toyota Siennas with fold-out ramps, operational support, maintenance and drivers for the partnership.

Lyft says pricing for its WAV service will be the same as standard rides. In addition to the tests in LA and SF, Lyft has existing WAV partnerships in Boston and Toronto.

You can read more about this development HERE.