Cracking Down on Bike Theft in Poland

Those who have been biking in Krakow for a while have undoubtedly heard of a friend who had a bicycle stolen, or had one stolen themselves. Now a new website aims to curb bicycle theft – and catch thieves in the act.

Baza Rowerów (Bicycle Database), located at bazarowerow.pl, has a simple concept: register your bike by entering its serial number, take a picture of it, and if it gets stolen, report it on the site. The site is run by the DrugaStronaMiasta company.

According to the website’s FAQs, Baza Rowerów “is an additional, free protection for you bike.” The site is ad-free, and registration is free as well. However, the website is exclusively in Polish, so while the process is quite simple, non-Polish speakers will likely need some help with registration.

While registering may not prevent your bike from being stolen, it the event that it is, the chances of its recovery increase. Perhaps the most helpful feature of the site is the ability to enter a serial number and check whether or not it is registered on the site – a handy tool to have before buying a second-hand bike online or from a “komis” shop.

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