A total of 537 complaints about cabbies have been received by the Transport Agency in the last three years.

Complaints made against taxi drivers in the past three years include rape, assault of a person with special needs, and offering to waive fares for sexual favours.

The allegations were among 537 complaints to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) received about cabbies from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2015.

Details requested under the Official Information Act revealed some bizarre claims by passengers against drivers across New Zealand. Four related to alleged sexual assault or rape, while a further three related to sexual misconduct or indecent assault.

These figures contradict those NZTA released in 2014, when drivers were accused of a dozen sexual assaults during the past year.

Among bizarre claims are an allegation a driver was on the dating website Daboo while at work. Another two drivers were said to have fallen asleep during the journey, one at traffic lights.

Drunk driving, drug use, road rage and a "driver [who] presented a knife in a threatening manner to [a] passenger" also featured in complaints.

READ MORE:

* Disabled Air Force veteran dumped by Hamilton taxi on busy road

* Abuse, assaults and entitlement- it's all in a day's work

* Taxi driver guilty of rape

NZTA said it could not elaborate on specific events, but said serious complaints were a concern.

"They're not appropriate people to be taxi drivers. There's a lot of trust in terms of who's driving you home," said David Pearks, NZTA's Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional manager for access and use.

No action was taken by the agency on 40 per cent of the complaints.

"That would be because of a range of things in terms of the amount of evidence. Also, when we say no further action, it's NZTA not taking further action because it may not have been an offence we should be dealing with. That doesn't mean the taxi company hasn't done something," Pearks said.

Forty-five complaints resulted in drivers having their licences revoked.

An alleged assault on a woman with special needs was the subject of one complaint, which Pearks said would have been escalated to police.

"That's right up there in terms of danger to passengers, so it's investigated by ourselves and police, so it's a criminal matter as well."

If charges such as those are proven, NZTA can issue a permanent ban to ensure the driver never returns to the industry.

Cabbies can appeal revoked licences, so evidence against them must be able to stand up in court, Pearks said.

Taxi Federation executive director Roger Heale pointed out that complaints are trending down; even so, one complaint is too many.

Heale said at least 20 million taxi trips are made in New Zealand each year, yet NZTA statistics state there were zero road deaths caused by taxi drivers in the last five years.

"The other thing to remember is the complaint may not be valid. It's not uncommon that sexual favours are offered by passengers for payment and they turn around and accuse the driver of having enforced it.

"We consistently reiterate to our drivers they are professional drivers in a professional environment so don't dare.

"There are always employees in a company you would rather not have, but most are removed from our companies. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they are removed from the system."

WHEELCHAIR-BOUND WOMAN REFUSED SERVICE

A physically disabled Hamilton woman said she received a $30 voucher after a belittling experience with a taxi driver in 2013, when he refused to take her into the city with her wheelchair.

"He said, 'Are you coming in the car? With that thing? You should have told them when you rang.' And I said I didn't know I had to."

The young woman said she relies on taxis to get around.

"He had a gas bottle in his boot and didn't want to put my chair in the back with his leather seats."

She complained directly to the company and understood the driver was stood down for six weeks.

The woman, who didn't want to be named, said she had to ask him to help her back up the ramp to her home, where she waited a further 20 minutes for a different driver.

'It was raining and dark and the middle of winter. He was going to leave me in the cold, but he helped me in the end.

"For the most part, people are really good and I have had a lot of good experiences, but I have had two or three that are bad."

THE NUMBERS

Complaints laid to June 30, 2013: 219

No further action: 79

Referred to approved taxi organisation (ATO): 40

Infringement notices: 23

Licences revoked: 15

Written warnings: 42

Verbal warnings: 10

Referred to police: 8

Civil matters: 6

Complaints laid to June 30, 2014: 199

No further action: 91

Referred to ATO: 28

Infringement notices: 27

Licences revoked: 10

Written warnings: 31

Referred to police: 8

Civil matters: 8

Complaints laid to June 30, 2015: 119

No further action: 48

Referred to ATO: 28

Infringement notices: 2

Licences revoked: 10

Written warnings: 16

Licence suspended: 2

Civil matters: 1

Still under consideration: 4

* Numbers can exceed the total number because more than one action could have been taken.