TLC data<\/a> shows that of the 10,694 licensed yellow taxis in service in November, 56% were wheelchair accessible.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/021226_livery_wheelchair-2.jpg\")
A livery driver on the Upper East Side advertised their vehicle being wheelchair accessible, Feb. 12, 2026. Credit: Ben Fractenberg\/THE CITY<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been some gains after years of litigation and settlements in wheelchair accessibility in the New York City taxi fleet,\u201d said Justin Wood, NYLPI\u2019s director of policy and author of the report. \u201cBut we have not seen the same commitment from these giant and much more profitable corporations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 22-page report notes that the dearth of wheelchair-accessible vehicles from the app-based companies can add to wait times for those who need specially equipped transportation.<\/p>\n
Henry, who lives in Manhattan, said trying to book trips through Uber or Lyft often ends in frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had to literally not take a ride when I needed it and had to get on the train because it was just impossible to get one,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause there\u2019s simply not as much as there would be for able-bodied people.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the TLC pointed out that the overall number of accessible for-hire vehicles for the app-based companies has boomed since 2019, when there were only 570 such vehicles in service. There are now close to 7,600 on the road, according to the TLC.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the most accessible fleet in the nation, we will always work to ensure that people with disabilities have the same access to transportation as everyone else,\u201d said spokesperson James Parziale. \u201cSince 2019, we\u2019ve seen a 1,200% increase in accessible Uber and Lyft vehicles and implemented rules that have significantly brought down wait times for accessible trip requests.\u201d<\/p>\n
The study strikingly points out how Lyft customers had an average wait time of nine minutes for wheelchair-accessible vehicles \u2014 more than double the 4.1-minute wait time for its non-accessible rides. According to TLC numbers, Lyft vehicles accounted for 28% of the trips taken in for-hire vehicles in November, the most recent date available.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The report notes that Uber customers waited an average of 4.3 minutes for wheelchair-accessible service, compared to 2.3 minutes for non-accessible vehicles. Uber was responsible for nearly 72% of for-hire vehicle trips in November, TLC numbers show.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are constantly waiting and waiting and waiting,\u201d said Eman Rimawi-Doster, a senior organizer for disability justice at NYLPI and a double amputee. \u201cWhen they try to get in touch with a dispatcher, it\u2019s not only very difficult, but sometimes they can\u2019t even get somebody on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uber spokesperson Josh Gold said that more than 10% of all trips on the platform last year were done in wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAV) \u2014 more than double since 2019. He also countered the report\u2019s conclusions on wait times.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile a difference exists, we also reject the premise that a roughly two-minute difference in reported wait times is significant,\u201d Gold told THE CITY in a statement. \u201cWAV trips often require additional time for safe boarding and proper securement before a trip is formally started in the app \u2014 a step that does not apply to non-accessible trips and can influence how wait times are measured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since January 2025, TLC wait-time rules have required dispatchers to meet at least 90% of requests for wheelchair-accessible vehicles in under 10 minutes \u2014 a change from the previous mark of 80% in under 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
According to TLC, 95.5% of Uber requests for accessible vehicles had a wait time of under 10 minutes in November, while Lyft met the mark 93% of the time.<\/p>\n
Among the report\u2019s recommendations is establishing a \u201cmodest per-trip surcharge\u201d to help incentivize drivers into buying new wheelchair-accessible vehicles or retrofitting their existing rides. Since 2015, a surcharge on yellow taxi rides that is now $1 per trip has gone to the Taxi Improvement Fund<\/a>, which annually distributes millions of dollars to medallion owners switching to accessible vehicles.<\/p>\n\u201cThere is no equivalent accessibility fund for the for-hire vehicle side,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n
Proposed legislation in Albany would create a state authority to finance driver purchases and retrofits of accessible electric vehicles and oversee the investment of those funds.<\/p>\n
Gold said the idea of adding surcharges on trips is a non-starter for Uber.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdditional fees on rides in the highest-taxed market in the country are not necessary as WAV drivers are already paid more by law to offset the higher costs of operating accessible vehicles,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rimawi-Doster said NYPLI\u2019s push to get more wheelchair-accessible vehicles into service is part of the organization\u2019s to hold the tech companies accountable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s far too late,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it\u2019s still very necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
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