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Passengers with reduced mobility: what the TVDE law guarantees

The TVDE law has a whole article dedicated to passengers with reduced mobility. It sets maximum waiting times, prohibits different prices and requires wheelchairs, guide dogs and pushchairs to be carried. The 2026 revision did not touch it.

The short answer

A passenger with reduced mobility has the right to request an adapted car in the app, to wait less than 15 minutes for it and to pay by the same price formula as everyone else.The driver must carry the wheelchair, the guide dog or the pushchair. If the platform has no car available, it must automatically point to another provider that does. All of this is in article 6 of the TVDE regime.

This article was not amended in 2026. Law no. 59/2026 lists in its article 2 the articles of the 2018 law that it changes, and article 6 is not among them. In the republished version only the spelling changes. What changed was the fines regime protecting these rights, and there is also a new reference to accessibility rules for the apps.

The five rights in article 6

1
Request an adapted vehicle
The platform must give every user the option of requesting a vehicle able to carry passengers with reduced mobility and their mobility aids (article 6(1)).
2
Wait less than 15 minutes
The waiting time for that vehicle must be under 15 minutes. Only in exceptional situations, justified by the platform, can it be longer, and never over 30 minutes (paras. 2 and 3).
3
Pay by the same formula
The way the price is calculated must be exactly the same as for the service without a reduced mobility request. There is no surcharge for asking for an adapted car (para. 4).
4
Bring a wheelchair, guide dog or pushchair
Transporting guide dogs for blind passengers, wheelchairs and other walking aids, and pushchairs and accessories for carrying children, is mandatory (para. 5).
5
Be referred elsewhere if there is no car
If the platform cannot guarantee the service immediately, it must automatically inform the user of other available providers with that capacity (para. 6).

Waiting times: 15 minutes, 30 at most

Paragraph 2 of article 6 says the waiting time to access a vehicle able to carry the mobility aids "must be less than 15 minutes". Paragraph 3 opens an exception: "in exceptional situations that the electronic platform can justify, the waiting time may be longer, never exceeding 30 minutes".

There are three things the law does not say. It does not define what an exceptional situation is. It does not say from what moment the wait is counted, whether from the request or from acceptance. And it does not say how the platform should justify the delay, or to whom. What is certain is the ceiling: 30 minutes cannot be exceeded under any circumstances.

The price: the same formula, no surcharge

Paragraph 4 is short and clear: the way the price is calculated "is exactly the same as for the service without a request for reduced mobility access". This prevents a more expensive category just because it is adapted, or an extra fee for the wheelchair. The general pricing rules still apply, and the app must show the calculation formula before and during the trip, under article 15. See the article on payment and invoices in TVDE.

Wheelchairs, guide dogs and pushchairs

Paragraph 5 is the rule that matters most day to day, because it applies to every trip and not only to adapted cars: it is mandatory to carry guide dogs for blind passengers, wheelchairs or other walking aids for people with reduced mobility, and pushchairs and accessories for carrying children.

A folding wheelchair, a walking frame or a baby pushchair fit in a normal boot and cannot be refused. The rule provides no exceptions, unlike the general rule for pets, which allows refusal on grounds of dangerousness, health or hygiene. The guide dog is not subject to those exceptions. The law also does not require the driver to provide child car seats: what it requires is carrying the accessories the passenger brings.

If the platform has no car

Paragraph 6 requires a platform that cannot guarantee immediate service to "automatically inform the user of other available service providers with that capacity". In practice, the app cannot simply say there are no cars. It has to refer the passenger elsewhere. The law does not say whether those providers must be other TVDE platforms or whether they can be, for example, adapted taxis.

Practical cases

I book a regular TVDE car and bring a folding wheelchair

allowed

Carrying the wheelchair is mandatory, even if you did not request an adapted vehicle. If the wheelchair folds and fits in the car, the driver cannot refuse it. The obligation in para. 5 applies to all services, and refusal may also be seen as discrimination on grounds of disability.

I requested an adapted car and the app shows a 25-minute wait

it depends

Above 15 minutes, the wait is only lawful in an exceptional situation justified by the platform, and never above 30. If the app gives no justification, there are grounds to complain. If the time reaches 30 minutes, the legal limit has been reached.

The app just says no adapted cars are available

not allowed

The platform cannot stop there. Paragraph 6 requires it to automatically inform the user of other available providers with that capacity. An unavailability message with no alternative at all does not comply with the law.

Who is liable and what fines apply

Breach of the duties in article 6 is an administrative offence under article 25(2)(g), with a fine of 250 to 4500 euros for individuals and 5000 to 44 000 euros for companies. In 2018, articles 6 and 7 were together in a single item and the fine ranged from 2000 to 4500 euros and from 5000 to 15 000 euros.

The law attributes item (g) to the platform operator, in article 25-B(3), and the power to handle it to the AMT, in article 25-A(1)(b). The driver does not appear as liable for this item. But if they refuse someone because of a disability, the discrimination in article 7, item (h), may be at stake, which the law also attributes to the driver and the TVDE operator.

What the 2026 revision added around article 6

Article 19(2) now includes an item (e): platforms must provide "the accessibility and usability rules in force". And article 28 now allocates 20% of fine proceeds to a public mobility and transport fund, whose purpose includes improving accessibility. Neither of these rules creates new concrete rights during the trip, but they reinforce the topic.

What to do when your rights are not respected

Record everything at the time: a screenshot of the request with the time, the waiting time shown, the identification of the driver and the vehicle. Then file a complaint through the app button, which must lead to the Electronic Complaints Book, and ask for information on alternative dispute resolution. The step-by-step guide is in the articlehow to complain about a TVDE trip.

Frequently asked questions

Did article 6 change with the new 2026 law?

No. Law no. 59/2026 amended articles 1 to 5, 10 to 15, 17 to 21, 23 to 26, 28 and 30 of Law no. 45/2018. Article 6 is not on that list. In the republished version there are only spelling differences, such as the hyphen in the Portuguese word for guide dogs. The rights have been the same since 2018.

Does asking for an adapted car cost more?

It cannot. Article 6(4) says the way the price is calculated for this service is exactly the same as for the service without a reduced mobility request. The final price may vary for the same factors as any trip, such as distance, time or dynamic pricing, but not because you asked for an adapted vehicle.

Can the driver refuse my folding wheelchair?

No. Transporting wheelchairs and other walking aids for people with reduced mobility is mandatory under article 6(5). The rule provides no exceptions. Refusal may also amount to discrimination on grounds of disability, which article 7 prohibits.

I waited 40 minutes for the adapted car. What can I do?

The legal limit is 15 minutes, extended to 30 only in exceptional situations justified by the platform. Beyond 30 minutes, the law allows no exception. Keep screenshots with the time of the request and of arrival and file a complaint through the app button and in the Electronic Complaints Book. Breach of article 6 is an administrative offence handled by the AMT.

Can the driver refuse to take my guide dog?

No. Article 6(5) makes transporting guide dogs for blind passengers mandatory. Unlike the general rule for pets, in article 8(3), this rule does not allow refusal for a valid reason.

Does the law require the platform to have adapted cars?

The law requires the platform to offer the option of requesting a vehicle able to carry passengers with reduced mobility and to meet the waiting times. It does not set a quota of adapted vehicles or define their technical characteristics. If no vehicle is available, the platform must automatically point to other providers with that capacity.