Vandalism of bike share systems

In February 2023 in Vancouver, Canada, dozens of shared bikes were found with slashed tires. The reason? Motorists demanding parking spaces back for their vehicles. This atypical case is not isolated.

Theft, deterioration, negligence: bike sharing operators are often confronted with the degradation of their system by users. In a Cerema article published in 2019, the study and expertise center estimates that up to 10% of the fleet can be stolen or destroyed each year and encourages operators to integrate this cost into their operating budget. Vandalism is one of the exogenous factors that can limit the success or even cause the failure of a bike share system.

What is vandalism on a bike share system?

Vandalism is the behavior of someone who destroys or damages equipment in a serious and gratuitous manner. For example, damage to bicycles and stations (flat tires, cut cables, graffiti, etc.) as well as theft (bicycles, saddles, batteries, GPS trackers) are considered acts of vandalism. The definition of vandalism can also include using prepaid credit cards to rent a bike and using a vehicle that has not been properly locked.

Is the problem of vandalism marginal?

Bike-share systems affected by vandalism are not isolated cases.

• In France, in Lyon in 2019, an unprecedented wave of vandalism led to the degradation of 30% of the 5000 Velo'V fleet. The operator JCDecaux was forced to temporarily close 27 stations due to the lack of operational bikes.

• In August 2022, Bristol's Big Issue system was suspended for several days due to a record rate of vandalism to its vehicles. According to the operator, the current rate of damage to the 200 electric bikes on city streets means that the entire fleet is vandalized every two weeks. The vandalism began two months after its launch in February, and the operator reduced the service area and introduced smaller parking zones in an attempt to eradicate the problem.

• Europe is no exception. In India, the Tamakuru bike-sharing system is also experiencing difficulties. The 150 electric and mechanical bicycles in the fleet have been the target of theft or abuse (abandoned in the street, thrown into the sewer). At the moment, the authorities and the operator are questioning the extension of the pilot.

Credits : BBC

Is the type of parking affected the risk of vandalism?

This trend applies to all types of parking. Indeed, station-based systems are as much affected as free-floating systems, such as Vélo'V.

For example, in 2018 in Seattle, three providers launched 7,000 free floating bikes. City officials say there have been incidents in which people have cut the bikes' cables, which not only destroyed the bikes, but also posed a safety risk to users who were unaware that the bikes were damaged.

What are the consequences of vandalism for operators?

These acts of vandalism can put operators in financial difficulty. Some operators have had to shut down their systems due to the extent of the damage.

• In France, Plaine Commune's Velcom system created in 2009 ceased to exist in 2012 after the entire fleet of 450 bikes disappeared several times.

• In the UK, the Just Eat system implemented in Edinburgh in 2018 was permanently closed in 2021 due to excessive costs associated with vandalism and theft.

• In the U.S., the bike share system in Salem, Oregon, shut down after finding itself without working bikes.

The extent of vandalism in certain cities may also dissuade other operators from setting up there.

​​ Credits : Edinburgh Live

What actions can cities take to limit vandalism?

Cities can prevent vandalism at the design stage of the bike share system. Indeed, the service level agreements are decided by the public authorities before the system is implemented. Thus, to limit vandalism, these can include:

• Periodic visit of the stations to check their condition

• Removal of graffiti within 24 hours

• Removal of a vandalized bike from a station within 24 hours

The public authority will monitor and enforce these service level agreements.

In addition, awareness-raising on the use of bike sharing can be carried out jointly by the community and the operator. If the idea is above all to help residents develop their use of bicycles, the appropriation of the system by users can help reduce acts of vandalism.

For example, the " Bikes for All" program, developed in Glasgow by CoMoUK, encourages the use of bicycles by low-income residents through engagement activities and mechanisms to remove barriers to payment. This approach ensures that no part of the community feels disenfranchised and encourages them to report any suspicious activity on the system. Community engagement allows for a sense of ownership of the project, which then promotes local oversight.

Credits : CoMoUK

What solutions are available to operators to limit vandalism?

Strengthen the security of the system

The operators can choose to increase the security of their system. For example, they can increase the security of the bike lock.

For station-based systems, this means further securing the bike to the dock. As such, the operator can add specific parts to the bikes and stations such as screws and nuts that require special tools to remove. This is the choice made by the operator Cykleo in Rennes, France. In the first year of its launch, the Vélo Star system experienced numerous acts of vandalism. To remedy this, the operator reinforced the locking system of its vehicles and the acts drastically decreased afterwards.

For free-floating systems, the vehicle is locked using a connected lock positioned on the drive wheel. As an example, OMNI, a company specialized in IOT devices for shared micro-mobility, offers connected padlocks to fight against vandalism. Their locks have the particularity of emitting a sound signal in case of abnormal movement or fall of a bike.

Choose sturdy bikes

In order to limit damage, bicycles must be robust enough to withstand intensive use and the risk of vandalism in traffic or when parked. Their sturdiness is reflected in their heavy weight: on average, a mechanical bike docked in a station weighs 22 kg, a mechanical free-floating bike weighs 17 kg and a conventional bike weighs 15 kg.

Human presence

The presence of staff at a station can also be seen as a factor in reducing theft and vandalism. This would make the technology of the stations less complex for users and promote local employment. For example, the EnCicla bike share system in Medellín, when it was established in 2011, had 6 staffed stations.

Credits : Medellín Guru

Do more preventive maintenance

Acts of vandalism and graffiti must be dealt with as quickly as possible. According to the broken window theory, damage to public property contributes to a bad image and increases the number of malicious acts against it. By intervening quickly on a degradation, the operator can thus limit the acts of vandalism to come.

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Qucit helps operators to prevent vandalism of their system with Qucit Bike.

From a logistical point of view, intelligent rebalancing can be one of the solutions that can limit acts of vandalism: for example, certain areas can be calibrated to have slightly fewer bikes available to avoid the temptation to vandalize them.

In addition, Qucit Bike also allows to work on curative maintenance and to optimize the collection rounds to go more quickly and efficiently to collect the damaged bikes.