Zero accessibility surcharge: how we make the math work

When a ride-hailing company charges extra for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, they're saying: the cost of serving you correctly is your problem.

We don't believe that. ARK charges the same fare regardless of which accessibility equipment your ride requires.

How the pricing actually works

ARK's fare = base fare + per-km rate + per-minute rate. No modifiers for WAV class, ramp, lift, tie-down, or service animal. The formula is identical for every ride.

Drivers operating WAVs naturally command slightly higher fares on a per-km basis because WAV vehicles cost more to buy and insure. But that's baked into the market rate — it's not a line item charged to the rider.

Our 10% platform fee is the same across all ride types. We don't extract more from accessibility rides.

Is this sustainable?

We think so. WAV drivers accept a larger share of the total addressable market because they can serve both accessible and standard ride requests (where regulations permit and vehicles qualify). In practice, an approved ARK driver with a WAV can receive any ride offer — accessibility-required or not.

The surcharge model exists because companies chose not to internalize the cost of accessibility. ARK chose differently at the architecture level.

This is non-negotiable for us. If we ever have to change it, that's a different company.