A 10-hour workday ended on a sour note for some Tauranga Hospital staff after three bicycles were allegedly stolen from the hospital grounds.

The bikes were taken on September 28 between 2pm and 5pm from outside the hospital’s Medical Day Stay unit, an area used by staff to lock up bikes when dedicated bike sheds are full.

One hospital staff member, who asked not to be named, said the thefts highlighted growing concerns about the lack of secure cycle parking for workers.

“There’s simply no parking for your car and they’re trying to push alternative transport to work, but we’ve got nowhere to safely put our stuff,” the staff member said.

The employee, who cycles to work daily but was not among those affected, said two colleagues from her department had their bikes stolen.

“I use my bike every day, everywhere. It’s not just to and from work, it’s a whole lifestyle,” she said.

“If my bike had gone, I can walk to and from work, but I can’t afford to buy a new bike. You walk out at the end of a long day and it’s like, ‘Oh God, my transport home’s suddenly gone’.”

The staff member said hospital security staff witnessed one of the thefts on CCTV about 2pm, but the bike was gone before staff could intervene.

She said Tauranga Hospital’s two bike sheds, which each hold about 50 bicycles, no longer met demand as more staff chose to cycle to work.

“The sheds have been the same size for at least the last 15 years.

“Staff numbers have increased, bike use has increased, but the bike sheds haven’t.”

Health New Zealand interim Bay of Plenty group director of operations Jo Gibbs said she was aware of reports that three bicycles had been stolen from Tauranga Hospital.

“The safety and security of our staff and visitors is important to us,” Gibbs said.

She said Tauranga Hospital provided two dedicated bicycle storage areas for staff and that additional bicycle parking had recently been installed elsewhere on the hospital campus.

The unnamed staff member said the sheds were regularly at capacity, particularly during summer, forcing cyclists to secure their bikes in other locations around the hospital grounds.

“If you get there early enough you might get a spot, but trying to get your bike out at the end of the day can be difficult because they’re chocka.”

Gibbs said Health New Zealand continued to monitor demand for bicycle parking to ensure appropriate storage was available.

Tauranga Hospital on Cameron Rd. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

The staff member said one of the stolen bicycles belonged to a worker who did not drive and relied solely on cycling to get to work.

“You walk out at the end of a long day and your transport home’s gone. It has a major effect on your thought pattern. How am I going to get back to work?

“And we do on-call night shifts. We’re not going to walk to work in the dead of the night, are we?”

The thefts had also raised broader concerns about security on the hospital site, she said.

“It’s anybody that leaves their car in the carpark. Is something going to happen to that? It’s not safe anymore.

“It’s just what the world’s coming to now, where you go and do your job to the best of your ability and then everything’s taken away from you.”

Gibbs said a range of security measures were in place at the hospital, including CCTV coverage in several areas and regular security patrols.

She confirmed footage relating to the reported thefts had been retained and would be provided to police if requested as part of their inquiries.

“We encourage staff to report any suspicious activity to security immediately,” Gibbs said.

Police said they received a report of stolen property about 7.20pm on September 28.

“The report is currently being assessed.”

Kaitlyn Morrell is a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.