Bike theft: Petition calls for new measures at Cambridge railway station cycle park
A petition has been started to “improve bike-parking infrastructure and safety at Cambridge train station” in the wake on ongoing concerns about bicycle theft .
It was set up partly in response to a press release put out by Greater Anglia in August asking cyclists in Cambridge to remove unwanted or unused bikes from the city’s Cycle Point in order to help free up space for others. The release also sought to address security concerns.
The petition says that “false claims” were made in the press release. It refers to the Cambridge station cycle park as a “disproportionate hotspot” and says it would like to see automated secure bike storage, of the type commonly found in Japan.
James Hems, one of the people behind the petition, said: “Since that press release was issued, another member of the group [Stolen Bikes in Cambridge] has been keeping a data log of all the bikes that have been reported stolen, particularly because not that long ago, the police issued statistics that bike theft had apparently fallen by about 50 per cent.
“We really wanted to highlight that this was not statistically nationally recognised - and it probably highlighted more the fact that trying to report a stolen bike is not user-friendly on their website. Also, the frequency that an automated email just says the case is automatically closed has deterred a lot of people - so people have been turning more to the group and highlighting it there.”
The petition also addresses a statement made in the press release that the cycle park “has CCTV and lighting throughout and is security patrolled by staff every four hours,” saying: “It is known that the CCTV is not willingly shared to victims of bike-theft to share with police and as a result redundant and not worth mentioning as it adds no security.”
On the issue of patrols, James said: “We had a point of 48 hours where we met no security, so for a consecutive period of 48 hours no security patrol individuals were seen.”
A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: “We take customer feedback very seriously and understand cyclists’ frustrations.
“We are working with Greater Cambridge Shared Planning to improve the management of our Cycle Point large cycle park at Cambridge station.
“At the same time, we are continuing with regular security patrols several times a day and daily litter-picking and cleaning at the facility.
“We recently carried out a deep clean of the cycle park and removed 400 abandoned bikes and cycling paraphernalia – one of our piles of which is pictured in the petition.
“We would urge anyone whose bike is stolen from the facility to report it to Cambridgeshire police. We cannot release CCTV to individuals due to GDPR restrictions, but we are able to pass it on to police.
“Cambridge Cycle Point is the largest cycle park in the city, with parking for just under 3,000 bikes. The proportion of bikes stolen is low, but we are determined to do what we can to reduce thefts further, working with partners including police, the council and cyclists themselves including the Facebook group Stolen Bikes in Cambridge, who we have arranged to meet.”
The petition can be accessed at change.org .
Read more from our coverage of bicycle theft
Victims of bike theft in Cambridge call for more action
Interactive Cambridge bike theft map 2020: How 95% of cases end with no suspect identified
Camcycle: ‘It’s clear police are not taking Cambridge bike theft seriously enough’
How the Stolen Bikes in Cambridge Facebook group is battling back against the thieves
How to make your bike more secure in Cambridge: Top tips from Camcycle and Rutland Cycling shop
Thief banned from Cambridge Cycle Point after stealing four bikes
