Monterey Airbus, Inc. Agrees To Ensure Full Accessibility Of Airport Shuttle Service

SAN FRANCISCO – Monterey Airbus, Inc. has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office to resolve allegations that the Monterey-based company violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against customers with disabilities, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse. As part of the settlement, Monterey Airbus will take steps to ensure that it provides equivalent service to individuals with disabilities.

Monterey Airbus, a private transportation company with its principal place of business in Monterey, provides airport shuttle service between the Monterey Peninsula, San Francisco International Airport, and San Jose International Airport. Customers may request rides through the company’s on-line reservation system and a Monterey Airbus vehicle stops at pre-determined locations for customers with a reservation. After the U. S. Attorney’s Office conducted an investigation, Monterey Airbus acknowledged that prior to 2017, it did not provide services for passengers who required wheelchair transportation. Monterey Airbus also admitted that from 2005 to 2015 it purchased at least five new 13-passenger vehicles and five new 24-passenger vehicles for use in its services in the San Francisco Bay Area, none of which were readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs. 

“Passengers with disabilities are entitled to equal access to the different airport shuttle services that facilitate travel to and from the Bay Area,” said Acting United States Attorney Tse. “With the agreement being announced today, Monterey Airbus has pledged its commitment to ensure individuals with disabilities receive the same service as other passengers.  We acknowledge Monterey Airbus’s cooperation throughout this investigation and are glad that we were able to reach this resolution without litigation.”

As a result of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s investigation and this settlement, Monterey Airbus will make the following changes:

• Operate sufficient readily accessible vehicles to ensure individuals with disabilities receive equivalent service. 
• Permit passengers with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs, to book a Monterey Airbus trip either on-line or by phone.  
• Conduct ADA training for employees to include instruction on the ADA requirements for private entities operating a transportation system and Monterey Airbus’s policies and practices regarding accommodation of individuals with disabilities.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca A. Falk is handling the matter on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.