New bike passport rolled out

Mobility federation Traxio is hoping to reunite owners with their stolen bikes with Velo-Pass, an app it launched this week. Cyclists can download the app, then visit a participating bike retailer to buy a QR code for €10.

That code is coupled with all information about the bike, from the make and model to the colour, including photos. This, according to Traxio, will make it easier to return bikes that are reported stolen to their owners.

Currently there are just 17 retailers across Flanders and Brussels offering the Velo-Pass QR code – mostly in Antwerp – but another 50 have expressed interest in joining them. “We are also getting inquiries from organisations with fleets of bikes, such as bike-sharing systems and universities,” said a Traxio spokesperson.

Those retailers will also include a QR code with all new bikes they sell. Traxio is planning to expand the possibilities of the QR code, the spokesperson said, to allow only local residents to access neighbourhood bike racks, for instance, or to give access to loading stations for electric bikes.

Photo courtesy Traxio