Mick Higgins had just been strapped into the wheelchair taxi when the abuse started.

Key points: Mick Higgins, who has quadriplegia, was abused by a taxi driver while trapped in the vehicle

Mick Higgins, who has quadriplegia, was abused by a taxi driver while trapped in the vehicle He filed a complaint with Access Canberra, who reportedly gave the driver a warning

He filed a complaint with Access Canberra, who reportedly gave the driver a warning Mr Higgins filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against the driver and the ACT Government

Mr Higgins, who has quadriplegia, said the driver blamed him for reporting a broken lift, which had caused the cab to be taken off the road for repairs and lost income.

"He got very aggressive and threatening, so I backed right down," Mr Higgins said.

"I realised I was tied down and had nowhere to go, and if this guy started getting physical, I was in a lot of trouble.

"I was quite shaken up ... I suppose it started to dawn on me, the situation I was in."

Eventually Mr Higgins said the driver settled down long enough to drive him to his destination, the Canberra Hospital, but the abuse flared up again during the drop off.

Mr Higgins fled inside.

"I was just trying to get away from him as quick as I could," he said.

He said his first encounter with the taxi driver had been a month earlier, when he had noticed a safety mechanism on the ramp and hoist, which prevents wheelchairs from rolling backwards of the platform while being lifted, was broken.

Mr Higgins was concerned someone would be injured, so he reported the matter to the cab booking company.

The cab driver was ordered to fix the issue.

When Mr Higgins booked another cab a month later, and the same driver showed up, he initially thought nothing of it. That was before the abuse started.

Mr Higgins said he originally let the matter go, but a couple of weeks later decided to complain to the authorities to ask for the matter to be investigated.

"I realised it wasn't acceptable what he'd done," he said.

"Even though he owns the vehicle, it's still a public vehicle and he's taking the public, and if he can do that to me, and I'm still reasonably capable, what's he doing to someone else who's not as physically or mentally capable as I am?"

Government has power to strip taxi licences

Mick Higgins, a quadriplegic, was strapped into the taxi when the driver started to abuse him. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore )

ACT Government authority Access Canberra has the power to cancel a taxi driver's licence if the person has been convicted or found guilty of an offence that is considered relevant to their suitability to hold public passenger licence endorsement.

Access Canberra also has the power to take disciplinary action against drivers of wheelchair accessible taxis if they do not comply with rules.

The directorate said it had deactivated nine wheelchair accessible taxi (WAT) drivers' personal identification numbers so far in 2018-19 for not complying with the rules and not giving priority to WAT bookings.

The deactivation meant those drivers could still drive a standard taxi but were prohibited from driving a WAT.

But Access Canberra would not comment on the licence status of the driver accused by Mr Higgins.

Mr Higgins was told the driver had been given a warning and some re-training, which he felt was inadequate.

A month later Mr Higgins said the same driver deliberately parked so close behind a cab he was in that the rear door could not be opened, effectively trapping the father-of-two inside.

Mr Higgins made another complaint, and the driver was issued a warning notice.

But Mr Higgins said no serious action was taken against the driver.

"The response from the Government to us... was that there was nothing really they could do," Mr Higgins said.

"I really don't believe this driver should be on the road."

Human Rights Commission investigating

Mr Higgins, through his lawyer Sam Tierney, filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission against the driver and the ACT Government.

The commission has since accepted the complaint and is investigating.

Mr Tierney said he hoped the action would help ensure people with disabilities could safely use ACT taxis without having to fear for their safety or mistreatment.

He said discrimination laws made it unlawful for anyone to discriminate or harass an individual on the basis of a disability.

Mr Tierney believed the driver had breached the obligation.

"Unfortunately, the ACT Government has failed to do anything about it," he said.

Mr Tierney warned the matter could end up in the Federal Court if the issue was not resolved after the Human Rights Commission investigation.

"Mick, as every other Australian in the community, has a right to not be discriminated against or harassed as a result of their personal characteristics," he said.

"We think it's very important that these matters are inquired into properly, thoroughly and that action appropriate to those complaints is taken."

Access Canberra confirmed it was assisting the Human Rights Commission with their investigations.