Report promptly
Found items and passenger enquiries should be reported without unnecessary delay.
TfL Licensed Private Hire Operator
Lost Property Policy.
Black Fleet London maintains a controlled process for identifying, recording, protecting and returning property left during journeys delivered through our licensed private hire operation.
Passengers who lose an item during a Black Fleet London journey should contact Black Fleet London directly. The company maintains lost-property procedures and records as part of its responsibilities as a Transport for London-licensed private hire operator.
Purpose
Protecting passenger property through a traceable process.
The purpose of this policy is to establish how Black Fleet London responds when property is reported lost or is found within a vehicle used for a Black Fleet London journey.
The process is designed to protect the item, the passenger’s personal information, the integrity of the operating record and everyone involved in the handover and return.
Scope of this policy
- Items reported lost during a confirmed booking
- Property found in a vehicle after a journey
- Property found during a multi-stop or As Directed booking
- Items located by licensed operating partners
- High-value, sensitive or identity-related property
- Return, courier and collection arrangements
- Unclaimed, hazardous or unlawful items
- Lost-property records and TfL inspection readiness
Policy Statement
Found property must be reported—not retained, accessed or returned informally.
Property found following a Black Fleet London journey must be secured, reported and recorded through the operator process. No driver, supplier or staff member may treat found property as their own or use the item to contact, identify or obtain information about the owner unnecessarily.
Find
Check the vehicle and identify the item without unnecessary access.
Protect
Secure the item against loss, damage, misuse or disclosure.
Record
Create a traceable lost-property record linked to the journey.
Return
Verify ownership and complete a controlled handover.
Lost-Property Principles
Secure custody, careful verification and documented return.
Do not investigate contents
Do not search phones, wallets, luggage or documents beyond what is necessary for safety and identification.
Preserve condition
Items should be stored in a manner appropriate to their nature and risk.
Verify ownership
Property should not be released solely because someone asks for it.
Protect privacy
Personal information discovered through an item must not be used unnecessarily.
Maintain traceability
Custody, movement, collection and disposal should be documented.
Escalate risk
Dangerous, suspicious or apparently unlawful items require specialist handling.
Record the outcome
Every logged enquiry or found item should have a recorded status and outcome.
Driver and Vehicle Check
The passenger area should be checked after every completed journey.
The assigned chauffeur should inspect the passenger cabin and luggage area as soon as reasonably practicable after the passenger leaves.
Where another passenger is about to enter the vehicle, the check should take place before the next journey begins so that items are not moved, misidentified or taken by another person.
Areas to check
- Passenger seats and seat pockets
- Floor, footwells and door compartments
- Centre consoles and cup holders
- Boot or luggage compartment
- Child-seat or mobility-equipment area
- Under removable covers or blankets used during the journey
- Any place where luggage or personal items were temporarily stored
Found Item Process
A controlled lifecycle from discovery to final outcome.
01
Secure
Protect the item and avoid unnecessary access or handling.
02
Report
Notify Black Fleet London through the approved operating route.
03
Record
Log the journey, finder, time, location and item description.
04
Match
Compare the item with passenger enquiries and booking records.
05
Verify
Confirm sufficient ownership information before release.
06
Close
Record return, transfer, disposal or another final outcome.
Lost-Property Register
Inspection-ready records linked to the relevant booking.
Black Fleet London maintains records of lost-property enquiries, found items, action taken and the outcome.
The register supports internal control, passenger communication, regulatory inspection and investigation where an item is disputed, sensitive or suspected stolen.
A record may include
- Lost-property record reference
- Booking reference and journey date
- Passenger or claimant contact details
- Driver, vehicle and operating-partner details
- Date, time and location where the item was found
- Neutral description of the item
- Custody, storage and handover history
- Action taken and final outcome
Record retention
Lost-property records are retained for at least the period required under applicable private hire operator regulations and may be retained longer where reasonably necessary for a complaint, dispute, insurance matter, regulatory enquiry or legal obligation.
Reporting a Lost Item
Passengers should contact the operator that accepted the booking.
Where Black Fleet London accepted the booking, the passenger should submit the enquiry directly to Black Fleet London, even where an approved licensed operating partner supported the journey.
Providing accurate journey and item information improves the likelihood of locating and matching the property quickly.
Helpful enquiry information
- Booking reference
- Passenger or booker name
- Date and approximate journey time
- Pickup, destination and relevant stops
- Vehicle or chauffeur information
- Detailed item description
- Distinguishing marks or contents known only to the owner
- Safe contact details for follow-up
Item Classification
Different property requires different handling.
Items should be assessed according to value, sensitivity, safety, storage requirements and the risk created if the item is lost, opened or released to the wrong person.
Routine property
Clothing, umbrellas, books, bags and ordinary personal belongings.
High-value property
Jewellery, watches, cash, laptops and valuable electronics.
Sensitive property
Phones, identity documents, bank cards, keys and confidential files.
Hazardous property
Weapons, unknown substances, leaking batteries or unsafe materials.
Sensitive and High-Risk Property
Additional protection for items carrying financial, identity or safety risk.
Do not unlock, browse, answer messages or inspect stored information.
Protect card details and consider secure transfer to the issuing institution or police where appropriate.
Store securely and arrange verified return or transfer to an appropriate authority.
Record carefully, minimise handling and maintain clear custody evidence.
Consider urgency, storage instructions and whether professional advice is needed.
Avoid attaching the item to information identifying the related address.
Do not read or copy contents beyond what is essential for secure handling.
Do not handle unnecessarily and contact police or emergency services where appropriate.
Avoid contact, isolate the area safely and seek specialist assistance.
Secure Custody
Property protected from loss, access, damage and substitution.
Found property should be transferred to Black Fleet London or another approved custody arrangement as soon as reasonably practicable.
Where immediate transfer is not practicable, the item must remain secure and unavailable to passengers or unauthorised persons until formal handover can take place.
Custody controls
- Assign a unique lost-property reference
- Use appropriate packaging or secure storage
- Record each change of custody
- Restrict access to authorised personnel
- Separate high-value and sensitive property
- Protect perishable or temperature-sensitive items where reasonable
- Report damage, leakage or safety concerns immediately
Contacting the Owner
Reasonable attempts made where the likely owner can be identified.
Where a found item can reasonably be connected to a booking, Black Fleet London may contact the passenger or booker using the authorised booking contact details.
The item should not be used to create a new personal contact relationship between the passenger and the driver or supplier.
Contact controls
- Use authorised booking contact information
- Avoid disclosing unnecessary item details
- Do not share the passenger’s email address with a chauffeur
- Keep communication professional and limited to return arrangements
- Record material contact attempts
- Avoid repeated or intrusive contact
- Escalate urgent identity, medication or travel-document cases
Ownership Verification
Enough information to distinguish the owner from an opportunistic claimant.
The level of verification should be proportionate to the item’s value, sensitivity and risk.
The claimant should normally describe distinguishing features before Black Fleet London reveals detailed information about the property.
Verification may include
- Matching the claimant to the relevant booking
- Detailed description not visible from the outside
- Colour, brand, model, case or distinctive damage
- Approximate contents of a bag or wallet
- Device wallpaper, serial information or lock-screen detail
- Identification matching a passport or named document
- Written authority where collection is delegated
Property Return
A practical return method agreed after ownership is verified.
The return arrangement should consider the item’s urgency, value, location, security and the availability of the passenger, driver and operating team.
Office collection
Collection may be arranged from an approved location at an agreed time.
Secure delivery
A dedicated delivery may be arranged where operationally appropriate.
Tracked courier
Suitable items may be returned through a traceable courier service.
Authority transfer
Certain property may be transferred to police, an embassy, bank or another appropriate body.
Return costs
Where a dedicated journey, postage or courier service is required, the reasonable cost may be agreed with the owner before dispatch. Black Fleet London does not charge for merely reporting, recording or safely holding a found item.
Handover Confirmation
The return should be completed with evidence of receipt.
A clear return record protects the passenger, the person releasing the property and Black Fleet London.
The form of evidence should be proportionate and should not collect more personal information than is reasonably necessary.
Return evidence may include
- Date, time and return method
- Name of the person receiving the item
- Verification method used
- Courier or tracking reference
- Written or digital confirmation of receipt
- Name of the person completing the handover
- Any damage or discrepancy identified at return
Unclaimed Property
Unclaimed items managed according to value, risk and legal obligations.
Black Fleet London may retain found property for a reasonable internal custody period, taking account of the item’s nature, storage risk, owner contact attempts and any applicable legal or regulatory requirement.
The company’s standard operational aim is to retain ordinary unclaimed property for up to 90 days where safe and practicable. Different action may be taken sooner for hazardous, perishable, identity-related, financial or legally sensitive property.
Final outcomes may include
- Return to the verified owner
- Transfer to police or another competent authority
- Return to the issuing bank or organisation
- Donation to an appropriate charity
- Secure recycling or destruction
- Disposal where retention is unsafe or unreasonable
- Another lawful and documented outcome
No personal appropriation
Unclaimed property does not become the personal property of the chauffeur, supplier or staff member who found or stored it. Any final outcome must be authorised and recorded.
Privacy and Data Protection
Personal information used only for legitimate lost-property handling
Lost-property enquiries may require use of booking information, contact details, item descriptions and return records.
Information should be limited to what is necessary to locate, verify, protect and return the property or meet a legal or regulatory obligation.
Confidential Contents
Finding an item does not create permission to access it
Phones, laptops, correspondence, medical information, financial records and identification documents must not be browsed, copied or disclosed.
Any accidental exposure of sensitive information should be reported through the information-security process.
Disputed or Missing Property
A report of loss does not automatically establish where or how the item disappeared.
Where an item cannot be located, Black Fleet London may review the booking, vehicle checks, driver account, subsequent journeys and relevant communications.
Allegations of theft, dishonesty or evidence interference are treated seriously and may require police, insurer, supplier or TfL involvement.
Review considerations
- Last confirmed possession of the item
- Passenger seat and luggage location
- Vehicle check completed after the journey
- Subsequent passengers or assignments
- Driver and supplier statements
- Relevant messages or tracking information
- Any evidence indicating theft, mistake or another location
Supplier and Operating-Partner Duties
Lost-property controls extend through the operating network.
A licensed operating partner supporting a Black Fleet London booking must ensure that relevant personnel follow the same reporting, custody and return controls.
A partner must not close an enquiry or arrange an informal return without providing Black Fleet London with the relevant outcome information.
Partner requirements
- Require vehicle checks after journeys
- Report found items promptly
- Preserve the item securely
- Prevent unauthorised access or personal retention
- Cooperate with ownership verification
- Record custody and return details
- Provide records during a complaint or regulatory enquiry
TfL Compliance and Inspection
Lost-property procedures and records available for regulatory review.
Transport for London may review the company’s procedure for dealing with lost and found property, how items are recorded and whether relevant records can be produced by authorised staff.
Black Fleet London maintains its lost-property process as an ongoing operator control rather than preparing records only when an inspection is announced.
Inspection readiness includes
- A documented lost-property procedure
- Lost and found property register
- Records of action taken
- Return and handover outcomes
- Secure custody arrangements
- Staff access to required records
- Evidence of corrective action where failures occurred
Roles and Accountability
Responsibility from vehicle inspection to final closure.
01
Director
Owns the policy and oversees significant disputes, regulatory matters and sensitive-property decisions.
02
Operations team
Records enquiries, contacts relevant service participants and coordinates verification and return.
03
Licensed operating partners
Preserve items and records, cooperate with enquiries and ensure relevant personnel follow this policy.
04
Chauffeurs
Check the vehicle, report property immediately and protect the item until authorised handover.
Monitoring and Audit
Lost-property records reviewed for completeness and control
Black Fleet London may review the time taken to report found items, custody records, successful returns, disputed claims, unclaimed property and supplier cooperation.
Missing outcomes, delayed reporting or unexplained custody gaps should be investigated and corrected.
Policy Review
Reviewed against TfL guidance and operational experience
This policy should be reviewed at least annually and following a material TfL requirement, serious lost-property dispute, data incident or identified custody weakness.
Changes may affect reporting, storage, ownership verification, retention, return methods and supplier requirements.
Our operating principle
An item left behind may be financially valuable, personally irreplaceable or essential to the passenger’s onward journey. It should therefore be treated with the same professionalism, discretion and accountability as the journey itself.
Related Governance
Lost-property handling supported by connected operator controls.
Driver and Vehicle Compliance Policy
TfL compliance, allocation records and supplier accountability.
Data Protection Policy
Lawful and secure use of passenger and claimant information.
Information Security Policy
Protection of devices, confidential documents and sensitive information.
Complaints and Service Recovery Policy
Investigation of disputed, missing or mishandled property.
Supplier Code of Conduct
Mandatory custody, reporting, privacy and cooperation standards.
Quality Management Policy
Record control, audit, corrective action and continual improvement.
Lost Property Support
Left something in a Black Fleet London vehicle?
Contact our team with the booking reference, journey details and a precise description of the item. We will check the relevant vehicle and operating records and update you on the outcome.