The number of bicycle thefts in the Brussels Region increased by 27% between 2016 and 2019, Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt said on Tuesday, despite a bicycle theft action plan in place.
The number of cyclists is also on the rise, with 75% more cyclists in the first two weeks of September than in the same period last year.
The minister pointed out that the mybike.brussels bicycle registration platform is a success, with more than 15,000 bicycles registered since March 2019. Of the registered stolen bicycles, up to 20 percent are recovered. In the case of non-registered bicycles, the figure is 4 percent.
The bicycle theft action plan of 2016 was evaluated in the spring and presented to the Bicycle Theft Task Force in June. On the basis of the findings, the action plan will be updated.
Related News
- Brussels mobility minister tests positive for coronavirus
- More cyclists on Brussels roads sees spike in demand for secure parking
Van den Brandt acknowledged that the effects on the number of thefts are not yet immediately visible: not only is the number of cyclists rising sharply, but there remains a large 'dark number' of thefts that have not been reported.
The number of requests for a place in a bicycle box or parking lot is increasing, as are the waiting lists, the minister said. Before the corona crisis, the region had some 2,000 secure places (bicycle box or neighbourhood car park) and 4,000 people were on the waiting list. Today, there are 2,660 secure places and 6,700 people on the waiting list.
Today there are 460 bicycle boxes and 6 community car parks for bicycles. According to the Minister, by the end of the year there will be 500 bicycle boxes available with a capacity of 2,500 boxes.
For the bicycle parking, Van den Brandt calls on the municipalities, businesses and private individuals to contact Parking.Brussels to work out projects.
The Brussels Times
