Can you spot a stolen hire bike?
The number of trips made by bikes hired from Edinburgh Cycle Hire Scheme (ECHS) has risen in the year to September 2020 by 119%.
This means that around 221,000 rides were made during the year, breaking all records for cycle hire schemes across the UK.
There are 75 new cycle hire stations in the city, including the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Craigleith Road, West Crosscauseway and several new bike stations in South Queensferry. More than 34,000 new users registered, bringing the total number of patrons to 57,000.
One of the issues facing the cycle hire scheme has been vandalism. We are probably all aware of the bikes wrenched off their stands.
If you see a bike which has red and blue flashing lights it means it is stolen, and you can call the police on 101 or contact ECHS on social media. A partnership has been created with Police Scotland to support efforts to recover stolen bikes and prosecute those who choose to damage the scheme’s infrastructure.
Chief Inspector Neil Wilson, Police Scotland, said: “Police Scotland, Edinburgh City
Division has been working in close partnership with ECHS to address theft of their fleet and vandalism to their infrastructure. We have undertaken crime prevention surveys of hire stations throughout the city and we will support ECHS in the implementation of enhanced security measures.
"Our officers have been briefed on how to spot a stolen bike and regularly undertake targeted patrolling, which has resulted in numerous apprehensions and prosecutions.
"We will continue to develop our approach in partnership with ECHS and would encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity involving the cycle hire network to police."