A local woman is hoping more Handy Bus users will bring their experiences with the service to the Yukon Human Rights Commission.

Christiane Cramp, who uses a wheelchair, has filed a formal complaint with the commission over what she argues is inadequate service.

The Handy Bus is a city transit service for Whitehorse residents with mobility problems. The bus picks up users at their homes on an appointment basis.

By not providing adequate service, the city is essentially putting residents who have trouble getting around in a corner and running their lives, Cramp argued in an interview Thursday.

Too many times, she said, she's called for service and only been able to book a one-way trip - or get no appointment at all.

"If you can't get to the doctor, you do without," said Cramp, who lost her mobility from injuries suffered in a traffic mishap.

Last summer, she gained attention when she rode her motorized wheelchair from her home in Granger to the Whitehorse General Hospital for surgery when the Handy Bus was unavailable.

"There's things like that," Cramp said, noting there have been dentist appointments cancelled and so on because she couldn't receive Handy Bus service.

The situation also restricts her job options, and even takes a toll on her entertainment choices, she pointed out.

When the Handy Bus stopped offering services past 8:30 p.m., she pointed out, it meant people like her who rely on it could no longer go see a movie, taking away "basic entertainment" for many residents in the city like herself, she said.

"Things like that are very demeaning," Cramp noted.

She said she knows she's not alone. One friend who had a job at the Real Canadian Superstore and used the Handy Bus Service could only get an appointment to arrive at work hours before her shift began, and to return home hours after the shift ended, Cramp pointed out.

"There's only one bus; they won't run two," she said.

With the high demand for the service, the city should be seeking more funding from the Yukon government (which provides the cash to run the Handy Bus) so it could have two Handy Buses on at a time, she said.

The city's regular transit service has new buses which allow for wheelchair access. But Cramp points out it's difficult for many with mobility problems to get to the bus stops, especially in the winter, and the buses serving the wider community won't go to the driveways of users.

Cramp remains hopeful her complaint filed with the commission will encourage others to come forward as well, though she noted one of the major problems could be that users of the Handy Bus service won't be able to get to the commission's offices.

City manager Dennis Shewfelt will not comment on the matter, noting the human rights commission treats complaints in a confidential manner and the city will respect that process.