Vienna bus driver returns life savings to passenger Published duration 6 December 2012

image copyright AFP image caption The Vienna bus driver discovered the money after driving around the city

An Austrian bus driver has been praised for his honesty, after handing in a bag he found on his bus containing 390,000 euros (£315,000; $506,000) in cash.

The sum represented the entire life savings of an elderly lady whom the police managed to track down.

The 77-year-old had withdrawn the funds from the bank earlier the same day before forgetting them on the bus.

The driver, named as Wolfgang R, said he initially thought the bag behind the driver's seat might contain medicines.

"I always do my rounds, and see if someone has forgotten something," he told a local newspaper of the incident, which happened in late November.

"I took the bag, looked into it and saw some of the money. There were many notes - something you never see."

Police were able to trace the owner through a passport and bank deposit slips which had also been left in the bag.

The man's employers, public transport authority Wiener-line, said they were very proud to have such an honest employee.