Washington, DC - The Department of Justice Thursday announced that payments totaling $2,966,000 were issued to over 2,100 individuals who experienced disability discrimination while traveling or attempting to travel on Greyhound. The payments were part of a broader settlement from 2016 resolving the Department’s complaint that Greyhound Lines Inc., the nation’s largest provider of intercity bus transportation, engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide full and equal transportation services to passengers with disabilities.
The alleged violations included failing to maintain accessibility features on its bus fleet such as lifts and securement devices; failing to provide passengers with disabilities assistance boarding and exiting buses at rest stops; and failing to allow customers traveling in wheelchairs to complete their reservations online.
“The Department of Justice is committed to eliminating disability-based discrimination in transportation services,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement ensures equal travel opportunities for those with disabilities through holistic reform.”
The $2,966,000 amount is in addition to $300,000 paid by Greyhound in 2016 to specific individuals identified by the Department, bringing the total distributed to individuals to over $3,000,000. This sum stands in addition to a $75,000 civil penalty paid by Greyhound to the United States. The settlement also mandated a series of systemic reforms, including that Greyhound hire an ADA compliance manager; provide annual in-person ADA training to employees and contractors who interact with the public; provide technical training to all employees and contractors on the proper operation of the accessibility features of Greyhound’s fleet; and report every three months to the Department of Justice on its compliance efforts.
