Belgium is paving the way for a national bicycle register. This measure which aims to prevent bicycle theft may come into force as early as this summer.
Bicycle theft remains rife in Belgium. This continues to pose a major obstacle to the country's aim to get people to switch from fossil-fuelled vehicles to two-wheelers. At the start of 2023, a central register was presented as part of the solution.
Until now, anti-theft measures have historically been fragmented, but this measure would see various Belgian authorities join forces to combat theft. On Tuesday, the national register for bicycles moved one step closer to being implemented, as the members of the Chamber's Committee on Mobility unanimously approved a draft law approving the cooperation agreement for the 'MyBike' system.
Translation: "Great news for cyclists. Unanimous support from the Commission Mobility in the House for MyBike, the first national cycling register. Purpose: to step up the fight against bicycle theft. A free tool, ready by summer!"
Some 30,000 bicycle thefts are registered with the police every year, a figure thought to be just the tip of the iceberg as a large number of cases go unreported. According to Mobility Minister George Gilkinet, who proposed the national bicycle register, the under-reporting of bicycle thefts fuels the vicious circle, as this results in less data for 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," Gilkinet said last year.
How does it work?
A similar initiative – mybike.brussels – already exists in the Belgian capital, but this will now be extended to the whole country and managed by the Federal Government.
Each bicycle will be marked with a unique QR code (via a non-removable sticker affixed to the bicycle) and registered in the database for free. This will be accessible to the police and the judiciary. Users can also enter other details about their bicycle, such as photos and proof of purchase.
The bill which was given the green light on Tuesday endorses a cooperation agreement entitled 'MyBike', concluded on 26 April between the Federal Government and the Regions. It still has to pass through the Chamber's plenary session. If passed, Gilkinet said it would be possible to start registering bicycles voluntarily by the summer.
The news comes days after the new legal framework for decoy bicycles was announced. This allows police districts and public prosecutors to frequently use this bait tactic to track down and catch bicycle thieves and gangs red-handed.
