Politicians should make bike theft a higher priority because of the economic cost to society, according to the RAI cycling organisation.

Every year, 600,000 bikes are stolen in the Netherlands. Taking an average price of €1,000 per bike, the total damages are in the region of €600m, the RAI organisation says.

The organisation has developed a three-pronged approach to reducing bike theft based on prevention, indentification and detection. For example, there should be more bike parks, cyclists should be encouraged to use approved locks and more use should be made of frame numbers.

Organised crime

‘We are not talking about junkies stealing bikes because they need easy money but about serious organised gangs who steal dozens of bikes,’ the RAI’s Quirijn Teunissen told Nos television.

Police have been using a special bike fitted with trackers to lure bike thieves. The police made an arrest on two-thirds of the occasions on which the special detection bike was stolen.

‘It’s a good result, but much more could be done if politicians gave bike theft a higher priority,’ Teunisse said.