The following year, I wrote an article that exposed UberWAV for what it actually was - a scam. Long story short: the original UberWAV acted as an intermediary between wheelchair users and the accessible taxis that already existed from providers like Yellow Cab. Worse yet: the cost of UberWAV was the standard taxi meter fare, plus a booking fee. This meant wheelchair users would end up paying more for a Yellow Cab wheelchair taxi booked through Uber than they would ordering the taxi directly from Yellow Cab. None of the savings offered to able-bodied Uber riders were given to people with disabilities. It was shameful, a scam and definitely illegal.
Fast-forward a year and things have improved dramatically for the better. Uber is out with a reboot of the UberWAV platform in a handful of cities. Brand-new fleets of rear-entry wheelchair accessible minivans have been purchased and leased to drivers who are trained to assist riders with disabilities. In some markets, drivers receive performance credits to offset the cost of leasing the ADA vans, making it a win-win for riders and drivers alike.
I recently tested out the new UberWAV in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. I requested rides via the Uber mobile app (selecting the UberWAV vehicle type) in under a minute. The fare structure for the ADA accessible UberWAV is the same as Uber X (for able-bodied riders). The application will show you the fare estimate prior to booking.
After requesting a ride, it took a few minutes for a driver to accept the call. On both of my UberWAV rides in the D.C. area, the driver was busy completing a ride nearby. This added to my wait times, which were roughly 25 and 20 minutes from the time I requested the ride.