THE high number of bike thefts in Glasgow is disappointing considering the efforts to get people out of cars and onto other modes of transport.
Many people have taken up cycling as a way of getting fit and use bikes to commute to work, which helps to cut congestion on the roads.
There needs to be increased efforts to provide safer place for bikes to be stored and the council, employers and public transport providers can help by making bike lock up facilities safer with more CCTV and indoor storage.
The suspicion that bikes are being targeted for their scrap metal value is another example of why a crackdown on metal theft is overdue.
Often these bicycles have cost the cyclist a considerable sum of money in an investment to be recouped over a period of time by saving on motoring of transport costs.
Cyclists can help themselves by ensuring they have the best lock they can afford to protect their property, ensure they record their serial number and, like the police say, photograph their bike to to help get it returned if it is recovered from the thieves.
The rest of us can also help by being vigilant and reporting anyone we see who looks like they are stealing a bike by cutting locks.