New data released by Transport for London has revealed nearly 15,000 glasses and accessories were lost on public transport in the capital between April 2016 and March 2017.
Just 1.6% of the 9,478 pairs of glasses were reclaimed, with 4.6% of the 4,735 lost cases and accessories finding their rightful owners. In total, TfL’s lost property office recovered 332,077 items, of which 4.6% was eyewear related.
Some 3,151 shoes were recovered, along with 12,714 rucksacks and 9,869 umbrellas. People were most likely to lose their possessions on the bus, where 54.9% of all lost property was collected, followed by 39.4% which was found on the Underground.
The items not reclaimed were donated to charity, or sold at public auction. These sales have raised £915,609 since 2015. For 2016/17, £256,754 was generated from lost property. TfL said that all revenue contributes directly towards the cost of providing a lost property service.