Reducing Bicycle Theft in Cities

The question

How to approach this problem and solution question

A problem and solution essay needs specific causes or problems first, then realistic solutions that match them.

1. Introduce the issue and why it matters.
2. Body 1: the main problems or causes, with examples.
3. Body 2: solutions that clearly link to each problem, saying who should act.
4. Conclude by summarising the best solution.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the sharp rise in bicycle theft and state that you will discuss both the causes and the measures to reduce it.
2. Body 1: the main causes, such as weak locking habits, poor parking provision and the ease of selling stolen bikes online.
3. Body 2: practical measures on the street, such as secure bike parking, better lighting and CCTV at hotspots.
4. Body 3: measures at a wider level, such as registration schemes, enforcement against resale and awareness campaigns.
5. Conclusion: summarise the causes and say which measure you consider most effective.

Idea bank

• Many cyclists leave bikes locked to railings with a cheap cable lock, which thieves can cut in seconds with a portable tool.
• Lack of covered, secure parking near stations and workplaces forces people to leave bikes in public places for long periods.
• Online marketplaces make it easy to sell a stolen bike quickly, and buyers rarely check whether the frame number matches a police record.
• Secure bike parking with a lockable enclosure at stations has been shown to reduce theft at those locations.
• Bike registration schemes, where frame numbers are stored in a database, can help police return recovered bikes to their owners.
• Awareness campaigns that teach people to lock the frame and the wheel to a fixed object can reduce opportunistic theft.

Useful vocabulary

• opportunistic theft: Much bicycle theft is opportunistic, with a thief taking a bike that is left unlocked.
• secure parking: Secure parking with CCTV can deter thieves at stations.
• a deterrent: Visible cameras act as a deterrent to would-be thieves.
• frame number: Recording the frame number helps police identify a stolen bike.
• black market: Stolen bikes are often sold through a black market in second-hand goods.
• law enforcement: Better law enforcement could make it harder to resell stolen bicycles.
• ensure that: Councils should ensure that enough secure spaces are available.
• a major contributor to: Poor parking is a major contributor to the problem.
• the most effective measure: Secure parking is probably the most effective measure in busy areas.
• reduce the incidence of: Lighting and CCTV can reduce the incidence of theft at night.

Common mistakes

• Naming causes such as 'bad people' or 'poverty' without explaining the practical mechanism that makes bicycles easy to steal.
• Proposing measures without explaining how they work, such as saying 'police should do more' without describing a specific action.
• Giving only one type of measure, such as policing, and ignoring prevention through parking and registration.
• Making a claim about the size of the problem without a figure or a plausible source, which makes the argument less convincing.
• Repeating the same point in the causes and measures paragraphs, such as describing poor locks and then recommending better locks without any new idea.

Examiner tip: For each cause, propose a measure that targets it directly, and explain how the measure would work on the ground.