At Uber, we strive to provide transport options to meet everyone’s needs – serving every part of every community, in every city.
From today, we’re pleased to offer uberASSIST in London, a transport option designed to provide additional assistance for disabled riders and others with access needs, including those who may just feel more comfortable with an extra hand when getting from A to B at the tap of a button.
UNLOCK THE ASSIST VEHICLE VIEW BY ADDING THE CODE: ASSISTUK
In the past, disabled people and people with access needs have been often underserved by London’s transport network – even today, only 24% of Underground stations have step free access. For a huge section of London’s population, getting around isn’t always easy.
Transport can also be a significant additional cost burden faced by disabled people. According to research carried out by the Extra Costs Commission, launched by the disability charity Scope, disabled people use taxi and private hire vehicle services more often than non-disabled people, and many say they have been overcharged whilst travelling. Indeed, the Extra Cost Commission’s final report called for action in this area.
That’s why we’ve worked with Transport for All to develop an additional option serving disabled people and those with access needs – offering extra assistance alongside the same convenience, reliability and safety features of every Uber journey – all at the same price as our most affordable uberX service.
With uberASSIST you can expect the reassurance and ease of communication that comes with a vehicle driven by one of our top rated partner-drivers who has completed a disability equality course, developed and delivered by disabled trainers working for Transport for All and Inclusion London. Vehicles can accommodate most folding wheelchairs, walkers and scooters and in the early part of next year, we hope to add fully wheelchair accessible vehicles to the platform.
How to request uberASSIST
- Download the Uber app and create your account
- Add the code ASSISTUK into PROMOTIONS
- Move the icon on the slider to ASSIST
- Set your location and request your ride
“Life costs more if you are disabled. Research shows that this adds up to an average of £550 per month. I was pleased to chair the Extra Costs Commission which set out to identify ways to drive these costs down. We heard time and time again from disabled people that they are paying far too much for private hire vehicles and taxis.
“That’s why we are pleased that Uber have taken on this challenge by launching uberASSIST to better train their drivers, increase the accessibility of their vehicles, and drive down these extra costs disabled people face.”
– Robin Hindle Fisher, Chair of the Extra Costs Commission
Pro Tip
After requesting, feel free to contact your uberASSIST partner-driver ahead of time with any specific needs or requests.
Final request…
As this service is specifically aimed at disabled people and those with access needs, please respect others in our rider community by only using uberASSIST if you need to. We want to ensure those who need to get an uberASSIST ride can do so. If you think it’ll help you then go ahead, we’re not going to check – we trust Uber riders to do the right thing.
Uber is committed to making transport easier and more accessible for everyone. Please feel free to send your feedback or suggestions to us on supportUK@uber.com.
