Garbage - Thousands of abandoned bicycles on the streets of Berlin
Flat tires, rusted steering links and missing saddles: Abandoned bicycles spoil the urban landscape in Berlin in many places, block St parking spaces and for years their numbers have been increasing. A total of around 4,400 bicycles were registered on the platform "Ordnungsamt Online" up to mid-June this year.
In the entire year 2020, there were approximately 4,600 bicycles. This is evident from an answer by the Traffic Administration to a parliamentary inquiry by Alexander Bertram (AfD). In 2023, there were a total of around 8,500 bicycles.
Approximately 2,000 stolen wheels per month
According to Land Berlin, the Berlin City Cleaning or other authorized parties are responsible for the disposal of bicycles on public street land. For green spaces, the Street and Green Space Administrations are responsible, for unbuilt private land the Environmental and Nature Protection Administrations, and for built-up private land the Housing Inspection Offices of the Districts. The bicycles are not always scrapped, but are sometimes repaired.
In Berlin, numerous bicycles are also stolen: approximately 2,000 per month. The number of thefts in the past year was around 25,750, as stated in a response from the Senate Department in March in response to a query from the Green Party deputy Vasili Franco.
The Public Order Office in Berlin has registered an increase in abandoned bicycles, with over 4,400 reported up to mid-June this year. The Traffic Administration revealed that there were around 4,600 abandoned bicycles in the entire year 2020. Unfortunately, the issue persisted, leading to a total of around 8,500 abandoned bicycles in 2023. These abandoned bicycles often spoil the urban streetscape, block parking spaces, and contribute to waste issues in Berlin. The municipality has assigned different responsibilities for handling discarded bicycles, with the Traffic Administration, Street and Green Space Administrations, Environmental and Nature Protection Administrations, and Housing Inspection Offices of the Districts each handling specific areas. Despite some bicycles being repaired or scrapped, many tireless efforts are needed to address the traffic and visual pollution caused by these discarded bicycles on Berlin's streets.
