GEORGE NEWS - Nobody leaves their cellphones, wallets, umbrellas, grocery shopping, identity documents or school books on the bus on purpose. 

However, passengers get caught up in conversations or are in such a rush to get off the bus at the correct stop, that they forget what they have been carrying when they boarded the bus.

Although passengers are responsible for their own property and the bus company cannot take responsibility for items left on the bus, there is a system in place for managing goods found on the bus and handed in by other passengers, or found by staff at the end of their shift. 

All lost and found items are handed in at the bus depot and taken to the Go George office. 

Here it is entered into an inventory and kept for different periods of time, depending on the nature of the item – all according to an official Lost and Found Policy.

Phone immediately

The best route to retrieve lost items is to phone the Go George Call Centre as soon as you realise that you have left something on the bus. The call centre agents will do everything in their power to trace the lost goods and give feedback to the passenger. 

If not found immediately, they will keep tabs on items brought to the office and inform the passenger of any finds.

Unclaimed goods donated

For all found items with identification, Go George will make attempts to contact the owner, but unclaimed goods cannot be kept indefinitely.

• Refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers must be discarded after four hours, according to government health rules. If a person phones within that time and their goods are found, arrangements for collection can still be made.

• Covered and sealed food will be kept for one to seven days (depending on the expiry date), whereafter it will be donated to the George Municipality for distribution while it is still good for use.

• Miscellaneous items such as clothing, cleaning materials, toys, umbrellas, sports equipment and books will be kept for at least 30 days before being donated for use in the municipality's social relief programme.

• Valuable items such as electronic equipment, jewellery, cellphones and handbags will be kept for at least 30 days, whereafter it will be taken to the municipality to be sold at a municipal public auction to be held periodically, at least once a year. This will be duly advertised in advance.

• Unclaimed cards such as bank cards, ID cards and loyalty cards will be returned to the issuing authority after 30 days.

• Strict regulations are in place for the management of any flammable or hazardous materials left behind on the bus.

It should be noted that Go George and George Link staff cannot be held liable if lost items cannot be traced or found. It could have been lost elsewhere than on a Go George bus.

To prevent dishonesty or misuse of the system, people who make enquiries will have to describe their lost items clearly before they are handed over. They will also need to present proof of identification and sign for the item upon collection.

The Go George Call Centre can be reached on 0800 044 044 between 05:00 and 20:00, seven days a week.

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