Solve problem of lost trolleys with computerised system

I refer to the letter “Make it harder to wheel supermarket trolleys home” (Sept 13, online).

Another way of solving the problem of missing trolleys is to require shoppers to sign for trolleys from a computerised station within supermarkets by scanning their National Registration Identity Card, driving licence or other IDs using a card reader.

The information would be captured and stored in a computer server, and a trolley would be released. Upon returning the trolleys, shoppers would repeat the procedure. In this way, their particulars would be deleted from the system.

This modus operandi of utilising the trolleys differs significantly from the current practice of inserting a coin into the slot attached to each trolley. Some shoppers have no qualms about forfeiting this deposit and taking trolleys out of the supermarket.

With a computerised system, however, the supermarket management could impose a penalty equal to the replacement cost of the trolley. And shoppers who repeatedly abandon trolleys elsewhere could be prohibited from patronising the supermarket again.

I foresee these measures reducing the number of lost trolleys significantly.