National bike database live in Belgium

Announced earlier this year, Velo-Pass in now fully operational. It is a system launched by Traxio, the Belgian mobility sector federation, to make it easier to return stolen bikes to their rightful owner. 

Under the Velo-Pass system, cyclists can register their bicycle in a national database. They can also stick a tamper-proof QR code (available in bicycle shops) to the bike so it can easily be identified. 

The system is voluntary but large numbers of local authorities and universities are participating in its promotion. Other services can be added to the system, such as owner information, charging details for electric bikes and many other IoT applications.

Velo-Pass is a Belgian system but adoption of similar systems in other countries seems likely. The Velo-Pass app is available for iOS devices and Android.

Image: Velo-Pass QR code (source: Velo-Pass)