There are glaring problems within the transportation industry for people with special needs, a CBC News investigation has found.

A review of five years worth of complaint records filed with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA), the Taxicab Board and the city's Handi-Transit systems revealed nearly 6,000 complaints.

There are accounts of drivers dropping mobility-challenged customers at the curb, leaving them to walk to their residence by themselves.

In one case, a woman was not escorted to her door as per the contract between WRHA and the service provider. As she struggled to make her way to the house, she fell and broke her wrist. Neighbours found her and helped her.

In a similar case, another client was dropped off at her home rather than being taken to the door. After the vehicle left, she was mugged.

Libby Zdriluk, who lives with cerebral palsy and uses taxis to get around, has first-hand experience of some of the problems.

She said drivers regularly see her wheelchair and drive off, not wanting to pick her up. In one case, she actually questioned the driver on why he didn't want to give her a ride, and the driver told her it's because he's on medical leave.

That prompted her to wonder why he would be driving at all, though she never confronted him about it. One of Zdriluk's friends, she said, was once left inside a cab while the driver left to run some personal errands, including some shopping.

Lack of proper training a serious problem

Another major concern that continually shows up in the reports is the lack of driver training for handling individuals in wheelchairs.

'There was an instance in 1997 when a customer was not properly strapped into a wheelchair taxicab. She sustained injuries in an accident and passed away three weeks later.' —Jerry Kozubal, Taxicab Board

A survey by Handi-Transit indicated that in 2008, 14 per cent of people had cases where their wheelchairs or walkers weren't strapped down or secured inside the vehicle. In at least one case, a passenger flipped out of his chair and badly bruised his legs

"There was an instance in 1997 when a customer was not properly strapped into a wheelchair taxicab. The wheelchair was secured but the customer was not secured inside the chair," said Jerry Kozubal of the Taxicab Board. "She sustained injuries in an accident and passed away three weeks later."

The urgency of the situation is underscored by the fact that a quarter of Manitoba's population will be over 65 within the next decade. Many of those people will likely be relying on those services.

Some people who have looked into the issue suggest the problem is that drivers aren't getting paid extra for the added work of dealing with special needs passengers.

"Part of this is financial resources that we need more of, and we need to be supporting those that provide the service," said Gina Sylvestre, a research associate at the University of Winnipeg's Institute of Urban Studies.

According to Kozubal, drivers are required to have only four hours of training before dealing with special needs clients. However, he said the board is going to pursue a requirement for more training.