No to carte grises for bikes in France

Cyclists will have to ensure their bicycles are correctly ‘marked with a unique code’ in a bid to cut down on crime, under new government plans.

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Up to 500,000 bicycles are stolen every year in France and fear of theft is often cited as a reason for people not wanting a bike.

But Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said owners will not have to carry carte grise-style ownership certificates every time they ride their bikes, as had been reported.

Once a cycle is marked with a unique code, its owner will be given a certificate which they can present to police as proof of ownership if the bike is stolen, or if they want to sell it on.

Bicycles produced from 2020 will have the code number marked as standard, while cycle-owners have until 2021 to get their bikes registered. To find a shop to mark your bike - and the fee see bicycode.org.

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