Official figures show a dramatic reduction in the number of bikes stolen in the Netherlands last year. The Dutch are well-known as a nation of cyclists and bike theft causes much irritation.
Just over half a million bicycles were taken in 2009 compared to about three-quarters of a million in 2006. This is down to measures taken by the government, the cycle sector and the police. New bikes are now routinely fitted with hidden chips which can be used to identify their owners.
Quality certification for cycle-racks and locks has also helped, as has the construction of more racks, some of them patrolled, in cities and at stations. The creation of an official register of stolen bicycles has made their recovery easier.
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Other Miscellaneous Facts
The April 2010 population of the Netherlands was 16,603,575. and there were 500,000 bikes stolen in 2009. I found that there were 13,000,000 bikes in the Netherlands in 2005. If I find updated figures I will add them to this post.
The Netherlands has the total area of 41,526 sq km (16,033 sq miles), of which inland water accounts for more than 7,643 sq km (2,951 sq miles). The land area is 33,883 sq km (13,082 sq miles). The land area increases slightly each year as a result of continuous land reclamation and drainage. It is bordered on the east by Germany, south by Belgium, and west and north by the North Sea, with a total boundary length of 1,478 km (918 miles), of which 451 km (280 miles) is coastline. Data is from the Encyclopedia of the Nations
New Zealand, which we think of as quite small is the 75th largest country in the world with an area of 270,464 Km2, is more than 6 times the size of the Netherlands, has an April 2010 population of 4,364,134, probably has only 500,000 bikes in the entire country.
Could that mean that the stolen Dutch bikes are in New Zealand?
New Zealand includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands. It excludes Niue (260 km²), the Cook Islands (236 km²) and Tokelau (12 km²), as well as the Antarctic claim of Ross Dependency (450,000 km²). It is the third largest country in Oceania.
Dutch lovebirds often hold hands while pedaling
That is as much geography and social information I can provide today.
Tags: bicycles, bikes, Dutch, land size, New Zealand, news, statistics, steal, stolen
