Hello to everybody and thanks in advance.
About 30 mins ago I left a bag (that would normally stand out) on the SMRT Premium 531 bus service from Simei to Raffles Place. Unfortunately I was bringing a rather costly winter coat to International Plaza to get it repaired. The coat was in the bag.
I have tried calling 1800 336 8900 (SMRT Lost and Found) for the last 20 minutes (so, 10 minutes after I lost the item, I was already calling them up. Nobody picked up after 20 calls. I left a voice message as requested for someone to call me back.
Being a premium service, I am aware that it was the last bus service for the day, and the One Raffles Quay stop is the second last stop, so it is unlikely to have been picked up by other passengers.
What should I do? In the event that this bag/coat is found, where is the collections centre for SMRT?
I don't want to abandon all hope that it's lost and gone forever...
Do you rmb the rego of the bus? Were there CCTVs on the bus?
No, I didn't get the license plate number on this bus (I only realised after I had been walking for 5 mins, and then reached my office).
There were no CCTVs on this bus - but this particular bus is one of only three buses that ply this route every morning (it has the red $4.00 premium sticker in the front window).
In fact, I have been taking this service now since September 2007 and almost recognise the three or four bus drivers that are always doing this.
On the bright side, I called after 10AM, and someone magically picked up the phone at Lost and Found and I gave them all the info I could (including that it was the last bus for the day, which should mean they can track down the registration plate number). But they said they need to wait for the bus to return to the depot first. Even though it is a limited morning service, the customer service officer was not sure if the bus would start a different route after that.
If nothing is found, I'll go early to the bus stop tomorrow morning and ask the usual three or four bus drivers one by one and hope that the Chinese driver this morning is also working tomorrow morning.
Thanks for the response so far - will keep you all updated and hope SMRT will be able to resolve this with a positive outcome!
go to the interchange where the bus starts n ends up with. if the bus captain found anything, it should b there
Originally posted by Lost Bus Item:No, I didn't get the license plate number on this bus (I only realised after I had been walking for 5 mins, and then reached my office).
There were no CCTVs on this bus - but this particular bus is one of only three buses that ply this route every morning (it has the red $4.00 premium sticker in the front window).
In fact, I have been taking this service now since September 2007 and almost recognise the three or four bus drivers that are always doing this.
On the bright side, I called after 10AM, and someone magically picked up the phone at Lost and Found and I gave them all the info I could (including that it was the last bus for the day, which should mean they can track down the registration plate number). But they said they need to wait for the bus to return to the depot first. Even though it is a limited morning service, the customer service officer was not sure if the bus would start a different route after that.
If nothing is found, I'll go early to the bus stop tomorrow morning and ask the usual three or four bus drivers one by one and hope that the Chinese driver this morning is also working tomorrow morning.
Thanks for the response so far - will keep you all updated and hope SMRT will be able to resolve this with a positive outcome!
Hope you retrieve your lost item soon
Originally posted by RaTtY8l:go to the interchange where the bus starts n ends up with. if the bus captain found anything, it should b there
531 is a premium service. It does not terminate at an Interchange or Terminal. The bus ends its service at the bus-stop opposite MAS Building, and the bus returns to the depot/interchange of parent service.
I think the bus starts service at Simei, but I'm not so familiar where the depots are - but near to where I live is the Bedok interchange, I think it is not a depot.
RaTtY8I: Thanks for that info, yes the bus ends opposite MAS building (so One Raffles Quay is actually 3rd last stop, and the bus was already pretty empty when I got off). I did not know that it returns to the depot/interchange of the parent service. Do you know which depot this may be? Somewhere close to MAS building?
This evening the 531 will go in the reverse direction and there are only two bus times. I will make sure to also ask the two drivers this evening if the customer service officer informs me that my coat/bag is not yet located.
Hoping for SMRT to give me good news soon!
Originally posted by Lost Bus Item:I think the bus starts service at Simei, but I'm not so familiar where the depots are - but near to where I live is the Bedok interchange, I think it is not a depot.
RaTtY8I: Thanks for that info, yes the bus ends opposite MAS building (so One Raffles Quay is actually 3rd last stop, and the bus was already pretty empty when I got off). I did not know that it returns to the depot/interchange of the parent service. Do you know which depot this may be? Somewhere close to MAS building?
This evening the 531 will go in the reverse direction and there are only two bus times. I will make sure to also ask the two drivers this evening if the customer service officer informs me that my coat/bag is not yet located.
Hoping for SMRT to give me good news soon!
Premium 531 uses buses from AMDEP. What are the features of the bus you took? Like are there any advertisements? or is it a converted air-con (windows can open)?
Pardon my ignorance but I am not too sure what AMDEP is, sorry for that
The bus is a square-ish white bus (not helpful), it is not a converted air-con (windows can't be opened) but there are seats that can seat about 3/3 people at the front facing each other on either side, then two rows before the back exit, then four rows at the back, and then the last row..
The most distinguishing feature is the red sign in the front that says Premium SMRT $4.00 that is stuck (it seems like by a small suction cup), but since the same buses are used everyday in the morning, it seems to always be in the same place in the front window.
Originally posted by Lost Bus Item:Pardon my ignorance but I am not too sure what AMDEP is, sorry for that
The bus is a square-ish white bus (not helpful), it is not a converted air-con (windows can't be opened) but there are seats that can seat about 3/3 people at the front facing each other on either side, then two rows before the back exit, then four rows at the back, and then the last row..
The most distinguishing feature is the red sign in the front that says Premium SMRT $4.00 that is stuck (it seems like by a small suction cup), but since the same buses are used everyday in the morning, it seems to always be in the same place in the front window.
Is the bus that when you board the bus, then is only one step?
If it is then it should be a Dennis Lance.
Is it the last trip you took? Then try calling the LAF(i put it as Lost and Found) hotline again and ask which is the last Svc 531 bus going into AMDEP(actually Ang Mo Kio Depot). This should be the effective way to find your lost item.
May I know your name(real name)? PM me and thanks. I hope you can find your belongings quick.
To add on:
I think you should try calling their lost-and-found line again. Sometimes you will have to try a couple of times before you can get through. I have used their line before, and I know how it works.
Here's hoping that you can recover your belongings.
It is a Dennis Lance bus, exactly the right bus type, as you said! Thanks - here is a picture I found on Google (replace the yellow/orange with red):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Dennis-lance.JPG/180px-Dennis-lance.JPG
I will call up the LAF hotline now.
Update: I just called, and they said they are "still waiting for a reply from their colleague".
That's just a bit disappointing.. but anyway will hope for them to call me back later like they just promised me again they would.
Sadly, they called me back and said nothing was found, they have checked with the 531 service, the AMK interchange, and nothing was determined to be found.
I will ask the bus drivers this evening and hope it's the same bus/driver I got earlier. Of course, quite upsetting, but it might be that someone else picked it up and may return it to the bus driver / interchange by tomorrow.
As unlikely as it may seem. To be expected to some extent though. Anyway thanks for everybody's very helpful advice and concern. I'm impressed that there is such a community of people so keen on Singapore buses indeed. :)
Thanks again.
If X-over to normal service no hope le. =(, but most probably can find one so dun worry, hope for the best.......
Originally posted by Lost Bus Item:Sadly, they called me back and said nothing was found, they have checked with the 531 service, the AMK interchange, and nothing was determined to be found.
I will ask the bus drivers this evening and hope it's the same bus/driver I got earlier. Of course, quite upsetting, but it might be that someone else picked it up and may return it to the bus driver / interchange by tomorrow.
As unlikely as it may seem. To be expected to some extent though. Anyway thanks for everybody's very helpful advice and concern. I'm impressed that there is such a community of people so keen on Singapore buses indeed. :)
Thanks again.
Did you manage to find your belonging in the evening?
Great news!
Someone on the evening service handed it in to the bus driver and since they were already alerted to it, when I caught the bus this morning I asked the bus driver as I boarded if anything had been found and *voila*, he handed it over.
Big thumbs up to SMRT!
And even bigger thumbs up to honest commuters in Singapore who return things they've found.
Now I only hope that the tailor can repair the coat within the next 7 days before CNY!
Once again, a huge thank you to everyone here who helped / replied or simply took interest to click on this topic!
(Although from this experience I can highly recommend to SMRT that it should hire more customer service officers so that people calling 20 times in a row and not getting through won't just give up in frustration...)
Originally posted by Lost Bus Item:Great news!
Someone on the evening service handed it in to the bus driver and since they were already alerted to it, when I caught the bus this morning I asked the bus driver as I boarded if anything had been found and *voila*, he handed it over.
Big thumbs up to SMRT!
And even bigger thumbs up to honest commuters in Singapore who return things they've found.
Now I only hope that the tailor can repair the coat within the next 7 days before CNY!
Once again, a huge thank you to everyone here who helped / replied or simply took interest to click on this topic!
(Although from this experience I can highly recommend to SMRT that it should hire more customer service officers so that people calling 20 times in a row and not getting through won't just give up in frustration...)
Simon, you really got a great help from the bus fans here. Yeah, Mostly only Dennis Lance operate on this service. Coz i everytime i go from Tampiens Ave 2 to my mum's shop, i will always see a off service 531 along e route.
And No prob, We are so happy to help.