SINGAPORE: Over the last three years, there have been an average of two to three bicycle thefts reported every day and authorities said it's a rising trend.
From January to March this year, police data showed that the number of such thefts compared with the same period last year, went up by about 200.
In 2009, there were 1,071 cases of bike thefts. This dropped significantly to 719 in 2010. But rose to 1,137 cases last year.
To curb it, Sembawang-Nee Soon Town Council has joined hands with the police to find ways to deter bike thefts.
They've come up with enhanced bicycle locks on the racks to prevent thieves from cutting them.
The first step is to pick up the key, then put it through the hole before locking it up.
With the new design, the bicycle owners just need to lock the back tyre to secure their bikes.
Currently, 113 bike racks have been installed at the void decks of 10 blocks in Nee Soon South.
Lee
Bee Wah, MP, Nee Soon GRC, said: "We have feedback from the residents
that there are bicycle thefts, in fact, not just to Nee Soon South.
"It
happens throughout Singapore and I'm very happy that police has
responded positively on looking into ways to reduce bicycle thefts.
"So,
in fact two years ago, we rolled out the engravement on the bicycle
itself and now, this is additional measure to cut down bicycle thefts."
- CNA/ck