Bike parking facility in Utrecht to open temporarily for people to get their bike

The bike parking facility at the Jaarbeursplein near Utrecht Central Station will open its doors at set times from Friday to Monday so that people can take their bicycles away. Cracks were found in the construction of the building after an inspection on Friday, which led to the municipality of Utrecht closing the facility that same evening as a precaution. More than a thousand bicycles were left behind.

After research and consultation with, among others, the constructor of the facility, it was concluded that it can be opened "safely and without risk" for users to pick up the bicycles "in small groups and under supervision", the municipality of Utrecht reported.

This is planned for four days with a maximum of ten people at a time. Apart from the pick-up times on the four days, the facility will remain "temporarily closed" pending further research.

Bikes that have not been picked up after Monday 8 p.m. will be taken to a location elsewhere in Utrecht and can be picked up there. Anyone who has incurred costs in replacement transport in the past few days due to missing their bike can have them compensated by contacting the NS, according to the municipality.