Winnipeg mayor wants free bike registry system to curb thefts

The City of Winnipeg is looking for ways to curb bike thefts.

Mayor Scott Gillingham is set to introduce a motion Monday at the Executive Policy Committee aimed at changing the city’s current bike registry system.

Mark Cohoe from Bike Winnipeg says it’s about time the city changes its registry system.

“Right now if I’m looking to buy a bike I can’t check that serial number and see if it’s stolen,” said Cohoe, the group’s executive director. “I don’t have the photos as well through our current registry that makes it easier to identify and track down.”

Among the proposed changes would be to remove the $7.35 bike registration fee, bringing Winnipeg in line with other cities like Toronto and Vancouver that don’t charge a fee for the service.

Other changes include using a registration system that is multi-jurisdictional, allowing victims of bike theft the ability to track down their bike even if it is shipped out of the city or province.

The city is pointing to platforms such as 529 Garage – which Vancouver uses – and Bike Index, which allow cyclists from around the world to register their bikes.

“Anybody can download it for free and upload five pictures of your bike and have all that vital information on hand,” said Rob Brunt, the chief outreach officer at 529 Garage.

About 3,000 bikes are reported stolen every year in Winnipeg.

Sameer knows the problem all too well; he’s had his bike stolen twice already.

He says after spending about $1,100 on two bikes and another $350 for a child’s seat bike attachment, he doesn’t plan on cycling again anytime soon.

“I have filed a police complaint,” he told CityNews. “I don’t know, I have lost the hope that I will find my bike for sure. I cannot leave my kids outside to play now.

“Every day I see there are so many bikes people are stealing. And only 10 to 20 per cent of people will only get it back.”

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While Cohoe says the registry is a step in the right direction, he feels the city needs to direct more resources when it comes to enforcement.

“Certainly something that we would love to see is an officer dedicated towards enforcement, looking for the stolen bikes,” said Cohoe. “That might just be going out and finding those Kijiji bikes that are obviously or presumably stolen.”

The potential of the overhauled bike registry system is sitting well with some Winnipeg cyclists who spoke to CityNews Sunday.

“This was back in the 2010s,” one person told CityNews. “I had fastened my bike to a pole. I didn’t know you could pull the pole up and the lock falls down and the person could take the bike. And I had my bike for three days. It would have been nice to have this registration back then.”

“If they do auctions people can claim their bikes and they’ll have their serial number and everything there and they could get their bikes back,” said another.