RTA Dubai Reports 104,162 Lost Property Incidents In Taxis During 2025

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority reports that the Lost and Found Team at the Call Centre processed 104,162 lost property cases from taxis in 2025. These reports related to journeys across the Emirate of Dubai. The team worked under the Customer Happiness Department and applied standard procedures. These steps aimed to secure quick action, accurate tracking and reliable return of items.

The nature of items recovered in 2025 covered both cash and personal belongings. Cash worth more than AED2 million was returned to customers. Around 35,000 electronic devices were retrieved, including smartphones, laptops and tablets. Close to 3,000 passports and official documents were also recovered by the system. Jewellery and other valuable belongings were handed back through the same channels.

The reporting process starts from the moment a customer contacts RTA and continues until closure. Staff verify trip details, including taxi, route and driver identification, using linked databases. Information is logged in dedicated platforms that record each case step. These systems support follow-up, ensure accurate documentation and help track items until they reach their owners.

RTA states that smart technologies are now central to handling lost property reports. Digital tools allow accurate tracking of taxi movements across the city. Call Centre teams can quickly reach taxi operators and drivers through integrated systems. This digital environment reduces manual steps, cuts processing times and supports reliable coordination between all parties involved.

Customers can report lost belongings through several channels designed for ease of access. The Call Centre remained the main route, handling 56% of all cases in 2025. Smart applications accounted for 10.8% of reports during the year. The virtual agent Mahboub, using text-based chat, received 30.8% of cases from customers.

To support residents, visitors and transit users, the Call Centre operates in many languages. Services are provided in Arabic, English, Hindi, Filipino, French, Chinese, Russian and other languages. This approach helps reach different community groups across Dubai. It also supports equal access to lost property services for people with varied language needs.

RTA lost property strategy and customer happiness

Usage of smart reporting channels increased during 2025, according to RTA data. This shift suggests stronger awareness of digital options among customers. It also indicates a clear preference for quick online interactions. RTA states that supporting systems help improve response efficiency. They also aid in reducing the overall time needed to close lost property cases.

The system responds quickly to most reports handled by the Lost and Found Team. Customers are usually contacted within a maximum of two hours. Clear rules govern how items are stored and handed over. These steps include identity checks, privacy protection measures and secure receipt processes. Such controls aim to maintain trust and protect personal data.

Meera Al Shaikh, Director of Customer Happiness at the Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, RTA, said, "These efforts align with RTA’s strategic message to provide safe and seamless mobility by developing innovative and sustainable roads and transport systems and services that elevate the customer experience to global standards. RTA places customers at the heart of its priorities through the implementation of strategic goals and objectives related to customer happiness, which focus on enhancing understanding of customers’ characteristics, needs and requirements, developing proactive and tailored products and services, and reinforcing positive practices and customer behaviour that support the efficiency and sustainability of the mobility system in the Emirate."

Al Shaikh stated that the lost property framework depends on prepared specialist teams and close integration. The Call Centre, taxi franchise companies and drivers coordinate through shared systems. Smart technology is used to protect customers’ belongings and improve confidence. These practices are presented as part of RTA’s wider approach to customer happiness in Dubai.

RTA records show that more than 30 messages of thanks and appreciation reached the Call Centre in 2025. These responses were linked to the handling of lost property cases. Taxi drivers also played a visible part by quickly handing in items discovered in their vehicles. Several drivers received recognition for honest behaviour, reflecting values of responsibility and integrity.

The Lost and Found Team continues to act as a key point between riders and taxi companies. The unit’s work highlights that customer happiness relates not only to journey comfort. It also depends on protecting belongings and maintaining confidence in smart transport services. These functions support Dubai’s wider mobility system and its focus on reliable, secure service delivery.

With inputs from WAM