{"id":17557,"date":"2016-04-14T11:30:25","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T11:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/?p=17557"},"modified":"2016-04-14T11:30:25","modified_gmt":"2016-04-14T11:30:25","slug":"50-per-cent-increase-in-campus-bicycle-thefts-in-past-two-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/index.php\/50-per-cent-increase-in-campus-bicycle-thefts-in-past-two-years\/","title":{"rendered":"50 per cent increase in campus bicycle thefts in past two years"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Tom\u00e1s Heneghan<\/p>\n

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The University of Limerick (UL) has seen an almost 50 per cent increase in bicycle thefts over the past two years.<\/p>\n

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According to records obtained under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, from 2013 to 2015 there was an increase of over a 48 per cent in the number of reported stolen bicycles at the university.<\/p>\n

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In 2013, 45 bicycles were reported as stolen at UL, a figure which grew to 67 in both 2014 and 2015.<\/p>\n

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There are currently 22 public parking areas for bicycles throughout both the main and North Campus. There are also seven covered public bicycle parking areas on both sides of campus and a secure UL bicycle hub located in the car park behind the Foundation Building.<\/p>\n

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The University of Limerick\u2019s website explains: \u201cSecure bike parking facilities are available in the Bike Hub which is in the Foundation Building car park.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Students and staff can request access to the Bike Hub by emailing SmarterTravel@ul.ie<\/a> with \u2018Access to the Bike Hub Request\u2019 in the subject header. They will then receive an email requesting students or staff to register their details.<\/p>\n

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The names of those who have done the above will then be added to the list of registered users and they will be able to access the hub using their ID card.<\/p>\n

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The sheltered hub is made up of two secure huts with 22 bicycle racks in each. Upon inspection by An Focal, it is estimated approximately 88 bicycles can be catered for between the two huts.<\/p>\n

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The university also lists on its website \u201c7 Tips for Cycling in UL\u2019 – Advice for storage\u201d. This includes registering a bicycle at www.bikeregister.ie<\/a>, taking a photo of the bicycle, purchasing a high-quality lock and using two locks, such as a U\u2019lock and a locking cable, \u201cfor the greatest theft deterrent.\u201d<\/p>\n

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There are also tips on how and where to lock up a bicycle on campus. These include:<\/p>\n

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