Five years on, 50 Uber special cabs for differently-abled lie unused

[Vaishnavi Jayakumar (Inclusive India)]

4 Dec 2025

Bengaluru: In 2017, Uber and Mphasis launched Uber Access and Assist, but the services were discontinued after COVID-19, leaving Bengaluru’s

differently-abled community high and dry.

While Karnataka plans a bill reserving 5 percent of private jobs and 10 percent of educational seats for persons with disabilities, around 50 specially modified vehicles for differently-abled people and senior citizens lie unused in a Bengaluru parking lot.

In 2017, ride-hailing aggregator Uber, in partnership with IT services firm Mphasis,

launched 50 Uber Access vans - retrofitted vehicles for wheelchair users - and Uber

Assist for seniors or those needing extra help.

While Mphasis funded the initiative, Uber operated the services via its app. The vehicles,

equipped with hydraulic wheelchair lifts and driven by drivers certified by the Diversity

and Equal Opportunity Centre (DEOC), were a relief for the differently-abled community,

who often struggle to navigate the city. However, the services were discontinued after

the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sources told Moneycontrol that these vehicles now need extensive repairs, including tyre

replacement and rewiring damaged by rodents, costing at least Rs 1.5 lakh per vehicle. A

Tamil Nadu–based NGO has offered to take over the fleet.

"Our partnership with Uber (Uber Access and Uber Assist) concluded in 2020. The vehicles, owned by independent driver-partners, have not been operational since Covid.

Some of the remaining vehicles are being processed for in-kind donation to selected

NGOs. At present, there are no plans to resume the service," Mphasis spokesperson said.

Differently-abled activists are dismayed. Vijay NM, who has been using a wheelchair for

17 years due to muscular dystrophy, told Moneycontrol, "Uber Access and Uber Assist

were crucial for our community. After their discontinuation, many stopped attending

events. Private providers charge Rs 3,500-4,000 for a 10 km trip, compared to Rs 250-

350 for regular cabs, and their drivers are untrained and often hesitant to handle

motorised wheelchairs.”

"The project, costing Mphasis Rs 13.6 crore, ran 19,000 Uber Access trips and 3.3 million

Uber Assist trips, benefiting thousands of differently-abled riders and seniors. Today, the

vans - Toyota Innova Crysta and Tavera with hydraulic lifts - are deteriorating due to

neglect: rodent damage, dead batteries, rusted hydraulics, and expired insurance," he

said.

Activists argue the fleet could be transferred to the Karnataka government or credible NGOs to operate subsidised accessible transport. "This would restore dignity and independence to thousands at minimal cost," said Vijay.

Once a symbol of freedom and mobility, these vehicles now sit idle, their potential wasted. "We don’t need sympathy or charity. We need infrastructure, access, and the chance to restart a beneficial service," he added.

www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/bengaluru-five-years-on-50-uber-special-cabs-for-differently-abled-lie-unused-13709363.html