Adil Afzaal, youth engagement officer Tanya Halliday and Lawson Smith, of Dismantle Inc.
Camera IconAdil Afzaal, youth engagement officer Tanya Halliday and Lawson Smith, of Dismantle Inc. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

PTA to improve security at Wellard Station due to bike thefts

Jaime ShurmerWeekend Kwinana Courier

THE Public Transport Authority is aware of several incidents of theft at Wellard Station.

It will install additional tamper-proof mechanisms on bike shelter infrastructure, and is working closely with police to catch and prosecute thieves.

PTA spokesman David Hynes said there had been no recent CCTV outages at Wellard.

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“Transport is always looking at ways to help passengers who choose to travel using a combination of cycling and our services,” Mr Hynes said.

“This includes cycling education and marketing campaigns, as well as providing or upgrading cycling infrastructure like bike paths, lockers and shelters, the quality and breadth of which has previously been recognised by national awards.

“We do everything we can to prevent theft and apprehend offenders on our network, including targeted patrols by transit officers and 24/7 surveillance via CCTV.”

WA Police confirmed a person had their locked bike and chain taken from the bike shelter most recently on May 16.

Mr Hynes said cyclists also had an important role to play in securing their bicycles and accessories in a way which makes it as difficult as possible for the bike to be stolen.

“We urge all cyclists to ensure they have a D-lock – which are much stronger than chain link locks and less likely to be cut by thieves – and learn the most secure way to lock their bike,” Mr Hynes said.

Zone Youth Space volunteer Adil Afzaal says he was “incredibly grateful” when a donated bike was handed to him after his bike was stolen from Wellard Train Station in March.

The youth space ran a BikeRescue program this year which helped 10 Kwinana youth restore bikes that were then donated to charities or to young people making a difference in the community and were in need of a bike themselves.

Mr Afzaal used his bike to volunteer for the service.

In fact, he was mentoring a young person about how to ride safely to their local train station, lock their bike, and catch the train about the time his bike was stolen.

Mr Afzaal’s bike was locked to the u-rails at the time it was taken.

For more information on bike security on the rail network, visit the Transperth website.

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