Passengers urged to check items before leaving taxis

As more items get lost in cabs, yet mostly returned, passengers have been advised to watch their stuff and double check their seats before alighting.

According to a senior official, Sharjah Transport Corporation (STC) received 1,345 reports on lost items this year so far.

“The Customer Service Section managed to return 255 of the 451 items found by the corporation’s cabbies, but could not make it with the remaining items which were requested by none,” said Saeed Abdullah, Head of Corporate Communication department.

Some passengers were unable to identify the taxi they were travelling in or the franchise company operating the taxi, and hence it was hard to return some of the items found.

Abdullah said some people were not even sure if they had lost their belongings in the cab while others failed to report the lost item on time. “Some passengers could not recall the vehicle number plate, the paid fare, the taxi colour or even the driver’s uniform.”

“The found items, left behind in most of the four franchise taxi cabs operating in Sharjah city, spanned important documents, cell phones, clothes, keys, passports, handbags, watches, food stuff, and cash,” he explained.

Indicating that the complaints on lost items were mostly received 24 hours later, Abdullah affirmed that the customer service centre coordinates with all franchise companies in case the passenger does not provide enough information about the taxi taken. “We trace all the meters to find the targeted taxi, but that process takes a long time basically due to lack of enough information.”

Abdullah urged Sharjah city passengers to be more cautious while taking a taxi ride, and check their seat before getting out. “Passengers are also advised to pay attention to the colour of the taxi and driver’s uniform as every company has a distinct colour.”

It’s also advised that every passenger keeps the fare receipt to better identify the taxi and quickly find the items lost. “A sticker placed on the dashboard opposite the passenger’s seat is a further reminder,” Abdullah said, noting that the customer service centre of Sharjah Transport may be reached round the clock at 700067000.

Sharjah Transport honoured several honest drivers who reported lost items worth about Dh500,000 as well as other valuables and important documents they found in the cabs.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com