More than Dh1.2 million in lost cash was returned to its owners by taxi drivers in Dubai in the first six months of the year.
Figures released by the Roads and Transport Authority on Wednesday revealed the extent of items left in taxis by passengers.
A total of Dh1.27 million in cash was left behind and quickly returned to people by drivers, as well as 12,410 mobile phones, 2,819 electronic devices and 342 laptops.
In addition, 766 passports were reunited with their owners who had misplaced them while riding in a taxi.
Dubai is no stranger to tales of honest taxi drivers returning valuable items left behind by customers.
Last month, Nancy Orgo from Dubai Taxi Corporation handed over a bag containing Dh1 million left behind in her cab by a passenger.
Similarly, a nanny working in Dubai could not believe her luck last year when a taxi driver returned her wallet containing Dh4,000 after she left it in his car.
Cynthia Labuz, 62, was worried she had lost the money, which she was planning to send home to her mother and daughters in the Philippines.
But thanks to honest Roads and Transport Authority driver Anwar Abdulrahman, she got her savings back.
The RTA has a highly effective lost-and-found system, which helps customers to reclaim their items easily.
People can register a claim in several ways, including sending an email to ask@rta.ae, calling 8009090, visiting a Customer Happiness Centre or posting on RTA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Passengers are advised to provide as many details as possible, including the side number of the vehicle, its plate number, the time and destination for pick-up and drop-off points, trip fees and a full description of the lost item.
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
Our House, Louise Candlish,
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Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
