DC Metro moves ahead with plan to use Uber, Lyft for paratransit services

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Popular ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft top the list of prospective contractors when Metro officially opens the bidding process to provide paratransit services this fall, The Washington Post reports.

Metro plans to issue an RFP in September with the intent to have the service in place by spring 2017. The pilot program will be for users in the Maryland suburbs, where two-thirds of MetroAccess customers live.

Officials anticipate the option will be popular among customers who don’t need wheelchair-accessible vehicles to travel. Concerns have been raised, however, about Metro’s intent to partner with the ride-hailing companies by advocates who cite Uber’s lack of ­wheelchair-accessible vehicles and question the level of training its drivers receive in dealing with people with disabilities. For the full story, click here.