Handi-Transit user concerned after trainee caught riding in a lawn chair
Rebecca Kozak says she was told by the driver that man in lawn chair was a trainee
A Winnipeg Handi-Transit user says she was baffled after seeing a traineestrapped into a lawn chair in the front of a Handi-Transit van.
"In the spot where there's supposed to be a wheelchair, there was a lawnchair," said Rebecca Kozak.
Kozak, a regular Handi-Transit user, said she was picked up at her Fort Rouge home on Tuesday around 7:25a.m.
"I even sent the picture to my husband and was [wondering] is this a new kind of wheelchair? Am I missing something?" she said.
Her husband confirmed to her that she was, in fact, seeing a lawnchair.
Kozak saidthe seatbelt was fastened to the floor, but the lawnchair was not anchored. Her first concern was for the man'ssafety.
"If we get T-boned, that chairand the person in it is going flying," she said.
Kozak saidwhen she arrived at her destination,the driver told her that the man in the chair was a trainee.
"My thought was that he was training someone that he probably shouldn't be training. I don't think Handi-Transit would sanction that," she said.
She said311 instructed her to call Handi-Transit directly. Handi-Transittold her that complaints usually take 10 business days to process.
Kozak said the Handi-Transit employee seemed surprised but did not seem to have a sense of urgency or concern for the man's safety. Kozak was told that a manager would be informed.
"This guy is out here being dangerous.You need to do something now," she said.
Driver suspended
Handi-Transit is run by the City of Winnipeg's public transit system.A city spokesperson sayscontractors are required to reinstall the front passenger seat inmodified vans when they are training a new driver.
The city also saidthis kind of behavior is unacceptable andthe driver has been suspended. The vehicle in question has been taken out of service.
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