You know the full bicycle racks, especially the free and unguarded bicycle sheds in the Netherlands, where the bicycles literally bulge out of the racks. How on earth will you ever find your bike here? After having parked your bicycle here for a long time and no longer having to look after it due to, for example, a school holiday, you discover that your bicycle is no longer there, not even in another place in the bicycle shed. This while you are sure that you have put it in this bicycle shed. What now? Has your bicycle been stolen or has the bicycle been cleaned up by the garage owner or the municipality?
Both options are possible. Ever heard of the term: 'orphaned bikes'? 'Orphan bicycles' are bicycles that are parked on public land and have not been used for a long time. The owners of these bicycles are unknown. These 'orphaned bicycles' are a major problem in many municipalities and an eyesore. Many municipalities in the Netherlands are removing these bicycles, which has major advantages for the attractiveness of the public space.
The station environment, for example, is often the calling card of the municipality, it offers a much more pleasant appearance when it looks tidy, and not that large numbers of bicycles are placed here and there and that bulging bicycle racks in parking facilities form the street scene. In the first instance, the 'orphaned bicycles' are given a label on the handlebars or frame. This label states that the bike will be cleaned up on a specific date.
If the bicycle is still there on that date with the untouched label, then it is an 'orphaned bicycle'. These 'orphaned bicycles' are removed from the bicycle shed and stored in a so-called bicycle depot. You can find on the website of the bicycle shed manager where your bicycle has been taken and how long it will be kept there. There may be a charge for removing your bike. How long it takes for a bicycle to get a label on the handlebar or frame can be municipality differences, ranging from two to four weeks.
Also read: Business travel recovery within two years