MISSING trolleys have been in the news in recent weeks. This will become a perennial problem unless measures taken have a deterrent effect on customers who fail to return their trolleys.

Many campaigns exhorting the public to be socially responsible have not achieved the desired results, and FairPrice's "Please Return Trolley" campaign is likely to suffer the same fate.

Most customers consider the $1 deposit a paltry sum and find it not worthwhile to return the trolley. This may change, perhaps, if the deposit amount is increased to, say, $5.

Certain controls are necessary and one of them is to disallow patrons from using trolleys if their purchases can be easily carried in plastic bags.

Unless someone is caught for not returning a trolley and subsequently convicted in court, people are likely to ignore the message that not returning trolleys is considered theft.

It will be more effective to deploy security personnel at strategic points where they can look out for customers who make bulk purchases.

It irks me to observe inconsiderate customers who put their children on the trolleys for joy rides. This is an unhygienic practice as kids may sometimes urinate while riding in the trolleys, and leave behind a nauseating smell.

Mr Jeffrey Law Lee Beng