Life saving advice for e-bike and e-scooter users has been shared by London Fire Brigade after spate of fires across the capital – with Southwark one of the worst affected boroughs, writes Grace Wiszowaty…
The London Fire Brigade has partnered with London Trading Standards on the new campaign. Events were also held on High Streets in areas most affected by e-bike fires, including Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Newham.
As part of the Charge Safe campaign, firefighters engaged with riders and offered advice regarding how to safely store and charge their vehicles, alongside gaining a better understanding of the most common type of e-bike being used, with a focus on places where large numbers of delivery riders congregate.
The LFB’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Preventionand Protection, Richard Field, said: “These events across London have been a great opportunity for our crews and partners to deliver crucial safety advice to those who need to hear it most.
“Over the course of these engagements, we’ve spoken to hundreds of riders, offering them our campaign flyers, including versions translated into multiple languages such as Bengali, Urdu and Spanish.
“We learnt that a vast number of riders are using modified e-bikes. While it was encouraging to learn about some of the safe storage and charging practices riders have adopted at home, we know that there is an increased fire risk, in particular with bikes that have had battery packs fitted.
“Along with the incidents that we are now unfortunately routinely attending, this activity reinforces how vital events like these are.”
The regional co-ordinator of London Trading Standards, Stuart Radnedge, said: “This has been an excellent way of advising e-bike users about how to safely charge as well as avoid some of the risks when shopping online.
“At this time, we cannot be confident that products sold online, such as batteries and chargers, meet the correct safety standards.”
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Since 2023, there has been an e-bike or e-scooter fire once every couple of days, according to data provided by the London Fire Brigade.
Recent incidents caused by e-bike fires include a balcony fire in Battersea and a house fire in Hackney, just three days apart. The Brigade said there were ten other incidents over a five day period.
At the weekend a woman was taken to hospital after a fire in a block of flats in Waterloo which is believed to have been caused by a faulty e-bike battery.
Six fire engines and 40 firefighters were called to the block of flats on Baylis Road just before midnight on Sunday, 15 June.
As part of the Charge Safe campaign, the London Fire Brigade has called for stricter regulations of online marketplaces through implementing the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill.
This bill will decrease the risk of customers buying products which are not compliant with the UK’s safety standards, such as lithium batteries, chargers and conversion kits.
