SINGAPORE: SingPost is looking into an incident involving a bag
of mail left unattended on the street, which was found and reported
by a member of the public on Tuesday (Aug 25).
CIMB Private Banking economist Song Seng Wun spotted the bag
along Old Airport Road on Tuesday and posted a photo of the bag on
his Facebook page.
In response to queries, SingPost said it was investigating the
matter. “What we have ascertained so far is that a member of the
public informed our Post Office staff that he had found a mail bag
beside a Posting Box. As it was going to rain, this member of the
public placed the mailbag under a nearby pedestrian bridge for
shelter,” the service provider said.
SingPost retrieved the bag of mail immediately upon being
informed. “The mailbag was intact in its original condition, that
is, sealed with a neck label,” it said.
The bag, said SingPost, had been “mistakenly” left behind by a
driver. “(The driver) was responsible for collecting mail from the
Posting Box at Block 14, Old Airport Road at about 2.30 pm (on
Tuesday),” said SingPost. “Due disciplinary action will be taken
against the staff concerned if there was negligence.”
It added: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank that
member of the public again for informing us quickly and moving the
mailbag under a shelter.”
Last year, SingPost was fined S$30,000 for losing a bag
containing 400 to 500 articles meant for delivery to six Housing
and Development Board blocks in Woodlands, after a postal worker
left her mail trolley unattended in September 2013.
The bag went missing after the postal worker hid her mail
trolley behind wood debris at a void deck in Woodlands Circle, then
left it unattended for about 10 minutes, while she used a washroom
across the road.
A police report was lodged and searches were conducted at the
surrounding area for four days, but the mail was not recovered.
The Infocomm Development Authority, which imposed the fine, had
said the missing mail was a breach of SingPost’s Public Postal
Licence, which requires the postal-service provider to ensure the
risk of loss, theft and damage to letters is minimised. The maximum
fine for a breach is S$1 million.
SingPost also introduced measures to tighten its operating
procedures and reminded its 1,200 postal workers not to leave mail
unattended and to be vigilant against theft. The postal worker
involved was counselled and sent for retraining.
Contacted regarding the latest incident, the IDA said on
Wednesday it is aware of the incident and is currently
investigating the matter.
“Under the Postal Services Act, the IDA may impose a financial
penalty on a licensee if it is found to be in breach of its licence
conditions or regulatory requirements,” the authority added.
-TODAY/cy