Washington DC - The US government has filed a lawsuit against ride-hailing company Uber for alleged discrimination against people with disabilities .

Uber has discriminated against passengers who need a longer amount of time to get into a car due to physical impairments, the Justice Department announced in Washington on Wednesday.

Specifically, it cited a fee that Uber charged if drivers had to wait more than two minutes for a rider to board after the agreed pick-up time. The company started charging passengers for driver wait times in 2016.

The rule is unfair to people in wheelchairs and others who require more time, the department said.

It added that Uber has violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was enacted to protect people with disabilities.

Uber rejected the accusation in a statement, saying that all passengers would be charged if they were late, but not if they had already arrived at the agreed meeting point and just needed longer to get into the vehicle.

It also said that wait time fees were not intended to apply to disabled riders and that it had been refunding fees to passengers who had brought it to their attention. Additionally, wheelchair-accessible trips and Uber Assist trips automatically do not have any wait time fees.

"After a recent change last week, now any rider who certifies they are disabled will have fees automatically waived," an Uber spokesperson said.

According to the BBC, the spokesperson also said the company had been in talks with the Department of Justice over the issue, but had still been slammed by the suit.

They said the move by the government is "surprising and disappointing."