In Ghent, capital of East Flanders, so far this year 7,000 bicycles have been removed in just three months’ time. Last year, only 9,000 were removed in the course of the whole year. Ghent has recently stepped up its efforts to remove abandoned and derelict bicycles from the streets. A particularly large number of bikes have been cleared away from the area around Ghent’s Sint-Pieters station.
Many Ghent residents choose the bicycle as their primary means of transport. A healthy choice, but it also means that in certain parts of the city large numbers of bicycles start to collect. That is why the city is having as many as possible removed from the streets.
Whereas 9,000 bicycles were removed over the whole of last year, the figure today stands at 6,977, and that’s in just a few months’ time.
3,700 of those 7,000 bicycles were on public land, 338 were collected from Ghent residents’ homes and 247 were deposited in the so-called 'bike cemeteries'.
‘A big difference for commuters’
In addition, a large number of bicycles – around 2,800 – were cleared away at Ghent’s Sint-Pieters station. It is the Fietsambassade, an external agency operating for the city of Ghent, that is responsible for clearing away the bicycles. ‘This year the Fietsambassade has already cleared 2,000 parking spaces at the station, which were occupied by abandoned bikes and bike wrecks,’ says Alderman Vandenbroucke. The remaining 800 that were cleared were not in a bike shed.
“Those 2,000 extra spaces make a big difference for the many commuters who want to park their bikes at the station. In this way, we are increasing the number of bike parking spaces without having to install extra bike racks. A win-win situation!”
You have 3 months to reclaim your bike!
The bicycles that are removed almost always turn out to be genuine abandoned bicycles or wrecks. Only 2 to 3 per cent are subsequently claimed by their owners, says Stijn Lewyllie of the Fietsambassade. ‘That proves that we are indeed removing genuine abandoned bicycles.’
‘Perhaps there are also people who don’t know they can still come and collect their bikes. But we do everything we can to inform people about how we operate.’
‘Anyone who still wants to collect their bike has three months to do so. After that, we’ll start working on the bikes. A small number are beyond repair, but the majority can still be repaired or have certain parts salvaged. We’ll then resell those ‘new’ bikes.’
At least 10,000 bicycles
Ghent hopes to clear away a total of at least 10,000 bicycles this year. This figure does not include the bicycles at the station. ‘We want to put an end to the nuisance caused by abandoned bicycles and bicycle wrecks. They are a nuisance, they spoil the public space and take up space in bicycle parking facilities.’
‘The Fietsambassade will also continue to approach people who do not park their bikes in a rack. Sometimes bikes parked in the way are moved or taken to the depot. There are also collection rounds for people who want to get rid of their bikes.’