Unfortunately bikes going missing is quite common in the Netherlands. Usually when bikes go missing, one of two things has happened:
- removed by the municipality because it was parked incorrectly
- stolen
1. Removed by the municipality
If you park your bike in an incorrect place for a long period of time, the municipality of Maastricht will remove it and take it to the Bike Depot. You can check if this is the case on lostandfound – just type in “bike in Maastricht” to the search bar. If your bike is on this site, then it will be at the Municipal Bike Depot (Fietsdepot in Dutch). Once you’ve made sure it’s there, you can retrieve your bike from the Fietsdepot for a fee and only on certain days. This fee is only payable with card. Find the address of the Fietsdepot, opening hours and price of the retrieval fee here.
The municipality will require proof that you actually own the bike you’re trying to pick up from the Fietsdepot. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a photo or the serial number, but could also be the bike’s keys, a receipt or proof of sales agreement.
2. Stolen
The other option is that your bike was unfortunately stolen. If the municipality didn’t pick up your bike and the circumstances are suspicious, then we recommend that you always file a report at the police station or online. Try to gather as much proof as possible that you own the bike. However, you should know that the rate of stolen bikes returned to their true owners is sadly quite low. You can also check this Facebook group to upload a photo of your stolen bike.
If you witnessed a bike being stolen, you should also file a report with the police online.
