Dubai Hails Pakistani Taxi Drivers for Honesty

News Desk 

Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recovered more than AED 2 million in cash, along with tens of thousands of personal items, from taxis across the emirate last year, highlighting the scale of its lost-and-found operations and the role of taxi drivers in returning forgotten belongings.

According to the RTA, its Lost and Found Team handled more than 104,000 reports in 2025 through its Call Centre, working closely with taxi companies and drivers to trace and return items left behind by passengers. The authority said most cases were resolved within two hours of a report being filed.

Among the recovered items were around 35,000 electronic devices — including smartphones, laptops and tablets — as well as nearly 3,000 passports and other official documents. Jewellery and other valuable personal belongings were also frequently returned to their owners.

The RTA said the system depends on verifying trip details, tracking vehicle movements and maintaining direct communication with drivers to locate missing items quickly and efficiently.

Officials praised the honesty and cooperation of taxi drivers, noting that many promptly hand over lost items as part of standard procedure. Pakistani drivers, who make up a significant portion of Dubai’s taxi workforce, were singled out for their professionalism and integrity, based on industry feedback and passenger experiences.

The Call Centre offers services in multiple languages — including Arabic, English, Urdu, Hindi, Filipino, French, Chinese and Russian — to serve Dubai’s diverse population and ensure lost-property reports can be filed easily.

The RTA said the figures reflect both the high volume of daily taxi trips in Dubai and the effectiveness of its systems in safeguarding passengers’ belongings and returning them to their rightful owners.