Uber called out over $35 response to 'unacceptable' act: 'It's a problem'

Yahoo

20-02-2025

An Australian woman who claims she was denied service by rideshare giant Uber an incredible 32 times in less than two years is urging people with disabilities across the country to "stand together" and demand action. She has called on the government to intervene, emphasising that discrimination is unacceptable and must not be tolerated.
Victoria woman Paula Hobley, who is blind, said that between March 2021 and November 2022, she was rejected by dozens of drivers on the platform, who took issue with her guide dog. Speaking to Yahoo News, Hobley shared the deep emotional toll the ordeal took on her mental health and urged others who have experienced the same to come forward.
Hobley is now suing Uber in the Federal Court, claiming drivers broke disability discrimination laws by refusing to pick her up. "It's made me extremely frustrated and angry," Hobley told Yahoo. "And, it's limited the things that I do because I weigh up the costs of the stress of the refusals, against the benefit of doing the activity.
"It means there are times I don't attend appointments that I would benefit from or resort to doing things online that would be better to do in person."
Hobley claimed she repeatedly reported the refusals to Uber — but the pattern continued. She said it's now made her wary of travelling at night, over fears for her safety should she be left stranded alone.
Heavily reliant on taxis and Ubers, Hobley said a trip that would take her just 10 minutes in a car would comparatively last over an hour on public transport. When she raised the issue with Uber, she was offered a shocking $35 in compensation.
"Uber often provided me with $35 of Uber cash per cancellation — sometimes there were more than one cancellation on a day — and [only] sometimes they refunded me," she said.
"Their written responses outlined that the Uber drivers I complained about wouldn't be able to drive for Uber again until they completed some retraining. But they wouldn't give me specifics regarding the outcome for individual drivers."
As for the individual drivers, Hobley claimed her refusals ranged from "outright cancellations" to messages directing her to book an Uber Pet — a service with an inflated fee.
"My service dog is not a pet. She has a right to access public places and services," she said.
Hobley, represented by the Justice and Equity Centre, filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission against Uber for alleged discrimination. After unsuccessful conciliation, she made the decision to take Uber the Federal Court.
Under Australia's Disability Discrimination Act, businesses cannot deny service based on disability, including refusal due to an assistance dog. While Uber drivers can be fined for such refusals, enforcement relies on individuals lodging formal complaints.
Penalties vary by state, with Victoria's fine as low as $480.
"I now avoid going out at night if I have to rely on a rideshare or taxi service because there's a risk I won't be able to get home safely," Hobley said. "I'm not asking for special treatment — I just want drivers to do their job and Uber to enforce that. I need to be able to travel without stress and considerable pre-planning, just like most people do.
"This is a right, not a privilege."
Jonathon Hunyor, lawyer and CEO of the Justice and Equity Centre said Uber makes massive profits, and should be held accountable. In the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, Uber reported a global net income of US$9.86 billion, a significant increase from the previous year's net income of US$1.89 billion.
"Uber is a massive international company making significant profits from providing a service in Australia. It has a responsibility to ensure its service complies with Australian laws," he said.
"The law in Australia is clear: A business providing a service cannot discriminate against a person with a disability. This sort of repeated conduct by Uber's drivers shows it's a problem the company needs to fix. Uber needs to ensure that people with disability can use its service like everyone else."
'Horrible' reality millions face every time they board a flight
Frustrated wheelchair user unleashes over 'inconsiderate' act
Aussie business apologises for 'outrageous' video mocking disabilities
Hobley now is calling for other Australians with disabilities who may have experienced the same thing to come forward and join together in fighting back.
"If this is happening to me, it's happening to people with other kinds of assistance dogs too," she lamented. "It shouldn't be up to people with disability to have to make complaints after they are discriminated against.
"There is power in making complaints. If we band together and make complaints it sends a clear message to government and companies like Uber that this behaviour is unacceptable and won't be tolerated."
Yahoo News Australia contacted Uber with regard to Hobley's claims. A spokesperson told us that the distress of being refused service because of an assistance animal "is not something we take lightly".
"We have strong policies, tools and driver education modules in place to ensure drivers understand their legal obligation to provide service to riders with assistance animals," the spokesperson said.
Uber stated it is committed to preventing service refusals and works with industry experts like Vision Australia to improve its policies. Drivers must comply with laws regarding assistance animals and receive training upon signup, with ongoing education. A first refusal requires passing a knowledge check to continue driving, while a second results in permanent removal from the platform.
Do you have a story tip? Email: [e-mail].
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.