The Consultation Committee (Codeco), which unites the Federal Government with representatives of Belgium’s federated regions, announced that it reached an agreement on the establishment of the “MyBike” system, a central register of bicycles, aimed at combating theft, Minister of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet, announced on Wednesday.
In 2020, 24,592 bikes were stolen, or roughly 70 bikes per day, according to theft figures reported by the police. According to a study commissioned by the mobility minister, the Vias road safety institute estimates that the true statistic is much higher, as only 48% of bicycle thefts are reported. According to the minister, the under-reporting of bicycle thefts fuels a vicious circle.
“The less data the police have, the more difficulty it has in investigating certain operating methods (of criminals) and the less fellow citizens believe in the work of the police. Reporting makes it possible to break this vicious circle and to fight more effectively against the theft of bicycles, but also against the concealment of stolen bicycles,” he explained in a press release.
The Federal Government wants to show that it is getting tough against bicycle theft. So much so that its fight is now integrated into Belgium’s National Security Plan, which encourages police to more actively go after bicycle thieves.
To this end, the MyBike national bicycle register will come into force across Belgium. A similar initiative already exists in Brussels, where it goes by the name of mybike.brussels.
The database, which will be managed by the Federal Government, can be consulted by the police in the course of their investigations. The backend of the initiative is currently being constructed and, following the agreement on Wednesday, will soon be open for users.
Identify my bike
Bicycle owners will be able to order, free of charge and on a voluntary basis, a sticker which will be applied to the frame of their bike which cannot be removed. This sticker will contain a unique code which identifies the bicycle. The registry will allow the bike owner to log his bike and declare its theft.
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This will also help combat the sale of stolen bicycles. When buying a used bike, potential buyers will be able to scan the code on the bike to check if it has been reported as stolen by its true owner. No other information about the owner, such as name or personal details, will be accessible.
If a bicycle has been stolen or lost, the new system will allow the police to easily return the bike to the rightful owner. A system is also being developed to integrate the existing system in Brussels into the new national system.
“With the creation of MyBike, we are offering bicycle owners, but also the police and courts, the tools to effectively carry out this fight against bicycle theft in an effective and reinforced way,” the minister concluded.
