The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it has launched an investigation into the bus companies FlixBus and Greyhound (operated by Flix North America Inc., FlixBus Inc., and Greyhound Lines Inc.) to determine whether FlixBus and Greyhound violate Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against passengers with disabilities and denying them reasonable accommodations.
The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability by private entities that provide transportation services, and there are specific requirements that FlixBus and Greyhound must meet to make sure their services are accessible to people with disabilities.
The Department opened this investigation after receiving complaints that FlixBus and Greyhound violated the ADA rights of people with disabilities. Complaints alleged that FlixBus and Greyhound failed to properly maintain lifts on buses, refused to assist passengers with disabilities with using lifts, refused to allow service animals to accompany passengers with disabilities or improperly asked for documentation, abandoned customers with disabilities between legs of their journey, and failed to allow and assist passengers with disabilities to leave and return to the bus at rest stops, among other allegations.
“Less than two weeks ago, we celebrated the 35th anniversary of President Bush signing the ADA into law, which protects millions of Americans with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The announcement of this investigation reaffirms our unflinching commitment to enforcing the requirements of the ADA. People with disabilities must be treated equally in accordance with the law, and no one should be denied the opportunity to travel because of their disability.”
If you believe you have been a victim of disability discrimination by FlixBus or Greyhound, please file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division online at www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/