Transport for London
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Cycle Secure Week sees over 3,000 bicycles registered
New week of action helps boost cycle marking in the Capital
- TfL working with Police to lock bike thieves out
Over 3,000 bicycles were registered across London during a week of cycle security action by Transport for London (TfL), BikeRegister, the Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police and the British Transport Police.
Cycle Secure Week, which ran from 7-13 September, aimed to increase the number of bicycles marked and registered in London. The week also raised awareness of the free bike registering events that take place across the Capital throughout the year. During this week of action, 3,205 bicycles were registered for free by BikeRegister and the TfL part-funded policing teams.
The events also offered cyclists free security advice on how to keep their bike safe from thieves, the best locks to use when securing a bike and how best to lock bikes to a cycle stand.
Steve Burton, TfL's Director of Enforcement and On-Street Operations, said:
'With more than 3,000 bikes registered, we are really pleased with the success of Cycle Secure Week. The public participation has been amazing and we hope this week of action has helped raise awareness around the benefit of getting your bike visibly security marked and registered to minimise the risk of it being stolen.
'With the number of people cycling in London continuing to rise, I encourage everyone with a bike to take advantage of these free registering events and help us to lock out bike thieves.'
As part of Cycle Secure Week, a dedicated webpage was created on BikeRegister's website, which allowed cyclists to see where all free bike marking and registering events were taking place.
BikeRegister is the UK's national cycle database and the leading online bicycle identification and registration initiative aiming to reduce cycle theft, identify stolen bikes and assist in owner recovery. It is used by every UK Police Force and is the preferred bike marking system of the Metropolitan Police Service.
TfL has also produced a short 30-second YouTube video to show people how quickly they can safely lock up their prized goods and some top tips on keeping their bike secure.
James Brown, MD of BikeRegister, said:
'We are delighted that Cycle Secure Week was such a success and resulted in over 3,000 bikes being registered across London.
'Bike marking is a proven deterrent to theft and bike owners who had their bikes marked and registered during the week can now be quickly identified by Police in the event that their bike is stolen and recovered. We couldn't have achieved this without the hard work and support of our Police partners across the Capital.'
City of London Police Constable, Stuart Ford, said
'Our aim is to register as many bikes a possible. All too often, officers recover shed loads of stolen bikes but cannot reunite them with their owners. Registering your bike will help us do this, so if you own a bike, get it marked with BikeRegister.'
Detective Chief Inspector John Oldham, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said:
'As a result of our week of action, even more cyclists will have gained valuable cycle security information as well as having their bike security marked and registered for free.
'A visible security marking deters potential thieves as the bike can be easily traced if it is stolen. Registering your bike helps police and retailers identify and verify the legitimate owner of bikes that have been stolen or are being resold.
'This week of action complements our policing activity throughout the year and we will continue our crackdown by making it a difficult place for thieves to operate by enforcement and educating cyclists on the importance of cycle security.'
For more information, please visit tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycling-in-london/avoid-theft
Notes to Editor:
- TfL cycle locking video: youtube.com/watch?v=0ea5Sy10znM
- BikeRegister website: bikeregister.com
- By registering and marking a bike with one of BikeRegister's kits, the chances of having it stolen are greatly reduced. BikeRegister also provides protection for buyers and sellers of second-hand bikes, who can check a frame number on our database to confirm it hasn't been reported stolen.
