Concerns have been raised in the London Assembly today that the Capital could see a surge in E-Bike and E-Scooter fires following the holiday period as Londoners receive potentially dangerous presents.
Hina Bokhari, a Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and Fire Spokesperson raised her concerns with the Mayor of London and urged him to embark on a mass advertising campaign to raise awareness of the dangers posed by unsafe E-Bike and E-Scooters.
Lithium-ion batteries can contain the same amount of energy as six hand grenades and when they fail can cause “thermal runaway” leading to fires that burn at 600 degrees Celsius. E-bikes and E-scooters with faulty batteries are usually bought from poorly regulated online sellers.
More and more of these fires are occurring every year with instances of fires related to E-Bikes and E-Scooters in London up 47 per cent in the last year. So far this year, three people in London have tragically died as a result of these fires, and 60 Londoners have been injured.
The London Fire Brigade is currently running its #ChargeSafe campaign to warn Londoners of the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, but Assembly Member Bokhari has raised concerns it is not reaching enough people, especially those who aren’t on social media and has called on the Mayor to use TfL’s vast advertising capabilities to put the message directly in front of Londoners.
She highlighted that the Mayor is already using TfL advertising space to highlight his free school meals policy and achievements related to house-building numbers and that by adopting the same model for the ChargeSafe campaign he would be spreading potentially lifesaving information.
In response to the questioning by Assembly Member Bokhari, Sadiq Khan stated he would be willing to look at how he can further advertise the ChargeSafe campaign.
The Liberal Democrats have also continued to call on the UK Government to bring in legislation at a Parliamentary level to better regulate the online sales of E-Bikes and E-Scooters and have written to the responsible Minister several times to push for this, a move the Mayor also stated he backs.
Hina Bokhari AM said, “This Christmas many Londoners will be waking up to a new E-Bike or E-Scooter under the Christmas tree. However, what was intended as a thoughtful, climate-friendly gift can quickly turn into a nightmare thanks to poor regulation.
“Too many Londoners have already lost their lives and been injured due to lithium-ion battery fires in recent years. That is why I’m asking the Mayor to launch a mass advertising campaign on TfL similar to the advertising campaigns he has already launched for his free school meals and housebuilding policies.
“This is potentially life-saving advice that can be put right in front of Londoners and could help reduce the amount of these fires we see in the New Year.
“I am also continuing to call on the UK Government to continue to introduce the legislation necessary to regulate the market and clamp down on unsafe online providers.”
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