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