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Uber Expands Wheelchair Accessible Rides In Philadelphia

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Uber is making it more convenient for riders with wheelchairs to get around the city.

Uber announced it is expanding wheelchair accessible rides in Philadelphia. The service will also be expanded in other major cities including New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago and Toronto.

Last year, the ridesharing company rolled out dozens of wheelchair accessible minivans in the Philadelphia region to meet an industry-wide accessibility requirement.

But now, the company says they are working to improve options for riders using wheelchairs or assistive devices.

"We know there is more that can be done, and believe that ridesharing can further improve options for riders who use motorized wheelchairs or scooters and want reliable access to wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs)," said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. "We've teamed up with MV Transportation, a national third-party transportation provider, to bring their fleet of drivers and hundreds of WAVs on to our app in several cities."

Uber says the partnership should allow for faster pickup times.

"Riders in wheelchairs can now get picked up by a WAV in 15 minutes or less," said Khosrowshahi.

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