This article has been submitted by Cardiff BID
The Cardiff Business Improvement District (BID) has announced a new project in partnership with Cardiff City Council and South Wales Police to combat bike theft in Cardiff by issuing the removal of abandoned bicycles occupying the racks in the city, ahead of the Tour of Britain cycle race.
The Tour travels from Worcester to Cardiff on September 8th, bringing with it thousands of cycling fans, many of whom will travel to the city on bike. The BID has vowed to ensure the city is prepared to accommodate the needs of these visitors, identifying and removing all abandoned bikes.
The issue was raised via an online survey distributed to business owners by Cardiff BID and in their conversations with the Street Ambassadors. They noticed the bikes had been left for extended periods of time and are often in states of disrepair.
The abandoned bikes make the racks susceptible to theft and create storage problems for Cardiff’s residents, discouraging them from parking their bikes in them or even from cycling into the city at all.
As part of their day to day work, the Cardiff Street Ambassadors are recording abandoned bikes and passing the information on to police.
The BID will then carry out the removals and donate the bicycles to Cardiff Cycle Workshop, a bike refurbishing scheme which has put 1,500 bikes back on the road.
Executive Director of Cardiff BID, Adrian Field said:
“The BID is committed to keeping the residents and business owners of Cardiff and their property safe and secure.
“With so many cycling fans travelling to Cardiff for the Tour of Britain it is essential we have the right procedures in place to protect their property and make the city a welcoming place to cycle.”
If you see a bike in Cardiff you think may be abandoned, get in touch with the Street Ambassadors on [email protected] & 07983 311723.
