amsterdam alone the model of the city in reducing pollution from automobiles; and Bicycles are the main means of transportation for residents. However, bicycles are also the easiest target for thieves, with as many as half a million bicycles stolen in the Netherlands each year.

Institute of Technology researchers Massachusetts (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands tried to find out where hundreds of thousands of stolen bicycles ended up by introducing a GPS tracking system into some of them. In the center of Amsterdam alone, up to 80,000 bikes “disappear” every year, and bike theft is so common that many don’t even report it to the authorities.

OUR Fabio Duarte, lead researcher Reasonable His city laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explains that the team’s original hypothesis was that the bikes, like the stolen cars, were being transported overseas. But as it turned out, many of them not only did not end up in another country, but also remained in the same city. The same picture was in Amsterdam.

For research, researchers they left 100 bikes in squares, bus stations and train stations that had a GPS tracking device hidden (either under the front light or under their saddle). They made sure the bikes were visible used and not stand out from the rest. As a result, investigators came to the tracks of 70 stolen bicycles.

#1 factor in bike theft

However, lead researcher Duarte notes that main A factor associated with bike theft is where the owners leave them.

Researchers believe that bike thieves take advantage of places where there are a lot of bicycles in order to remain undetected. “If not enough [ποδήλατα]there is always the possibility that the owner is nearby,” says Duarte.

Where does the most bike theft occur?

According to the study, most bike thefts usually occur near stations or in busy areas, and most bikes “disappear” at night.

In addition, GPS tracking of stolen bikes allowed investigators to determine where they went after they were stolen. It turned out that only two of the 70 stolen GPS bikes were taken outside of Amsterdam, and none left the country.

In fact, most of the stolen bikes were used by other people after a few days.

It’s possible that someone will buy their stolen bike.

Analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that at least a third of the bikes were stolen by a criminal organization.

“Criminal organizations steal bikes but sell them [άλλους] man in Amsterdam. It is even possible that someone will buy a recently stolen bicycle.

Titus Wenverlooresearcher at the University of Delft and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author research, notes that the results show that stolen bikes are either immediately used or quickly sold.

“This, which we conclude among other things, is that because of the bicycle culture that exists among the Dutch, the inhabitants are very accustomed to the phenomenon of bicycle theft and for this Bicycle theft does not have a significant impact on the city’s transport system. Wenverloo.

Source: El Pais