Travelers are more frequently fined after a mistake with the electronic lock that is on more and more OV-bikes. The number of subsequent waivers has also increased sharply. NS confirms this after reports by RTL Nieuws.
If someone forgets to lock an OV-bike when returning it, the rental continues in the computer system. This leads to hundreds of fines per month for not returning the bike. These are often fines of 350 euros.
In the first half of 2024, there were 4,315 of these types of fines. In the first half of 2023, there were 1,631. The number of waivers, because there turned out to be no theft, has also increased since then. In 2023, it was about a third. It is now more than half.
If things go wrong, it can take a lot of effort to get the fine back. People who spoke to RTL Nieuws, for example, were told that they had to report it to the police. While they were sure the bike wasn’t stolen. An NS spokesperson acknowledges to news agency ANP that this needs to be improved.
In addition, NS will ask employees of bicycle parking facilities to check whether bicycles are properly locked. This also prevents someone else from accidentally riding away with a bicycle. If that person locks the bicycle on location, he or she cannot open it themselves.
In total, there are approximately 20,000 OV-bikes at stations. 5,000 will be added this year. OV-bikes are rented approximately half a million times per month.