Electric bike on London Overground - continually being ejected from trains.

[43066]

It strikes me that it is not a matter of judgment, just a failure to apply the NRCOT (from a post above):

I suppose if a member of staff considers that any particular e-bike is unsafe (eg because it’s the aforementioned bodge job with wires sticking out) then 12(2) of the bylaws empowers them to order it’s removal on the grounds of safety. That supersedes anything in the NRCOT, notwithstanding that it may trigger a breach of contract (but note also that 19.1 of the NRCOT renders compliance with the bylaws a contractual obligation in itself).

I still think it is probably staff taking it upon themselves to apply the e-scooter rule to all 2-wheeled transport though.

This is likely true in many cases. Anecdotally I see quite a few e-bikes being conveyed on my operator’s trains and have never been aware of any issues.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Behind a paywall I'm afraid (though it seems happy for me to quote it), but it appears that TfL are planning to ban e-bikes in addition to e-scooters from their buildings and services as a result of the number of fires. These are likely to mostly be down to the cheap modification kits used by many food couriers rather than reputable ones, but supposedly because they are unable to prove this they are planning a total ban. It will be interesting to see if anyone else follows or if it is found to be too controversial to proceed.

E-bikes to be banned by employers after dozens of battery fires

TfL, NHS trusts and other organisations say they do not want the machines parked or charged on site

www.thetimes.com

Companies and organisations including Transport for London (TfL) are preparing to ban staff from bringing e-bikes to work after a surge in serious fires caused by faulty batteries.

TfL’s ban, which could take effect by autumn, would also stop members of the public taking e-bikes on London Overground trains, which carried 157 million passengers in 2023, and presently allow all bikes to be carried on board. TfL sources suggested that an exemption for foldable Brompton bikes, which are manufactured in Britain under strict regulations, might be considered.

Workplace restrictions on e-bikes, which cost from £600 to as much as £10,000, could make them less attractive for commuters if they are not easily able to park them securely during the working day.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it attended 143 e-bike fires last year, along with 36 blazes involving e-scooters, leading to three deaths and 60 injuries. In the year to July 15 there have been 82 e-bike fires and 14 e-scooter fires with 35 injuries but no fatalities. LFB said most e-bike fires began in people’s homes, followed by fires on the road and then in non-residential premises. It was unable to say which types of e-bikes or brands of battery were most frequently found to be at fault because the “severity of the fires” made them difficult to identify.

Sofia Duarte, 21, a model, died when an e-bike that was charging at the entrance — and only exit — to a block of flats in southeast London caught fire
LONDON FIRE BRIGADE/SWNS
TfL imposed curbs on e-scooters in 2021, banning them from its services, but had previously insisted that e-bikes did not pose a comparable risk. A number of NHS trusts, universities and local authorities confirmed that they had decided to prohibit e-bikes from being parked or charged on their premises. King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which serves south London, said: “Privately owned e-bicycles and e-scooters are not allowed to be stored or charged on trust premises.” Imperial College London said: “At no time are electric bicycles or scooters to be brought into or charged within any building. This is a fire risk which compromises the safety of building users. Folding e-bikes must have their batteries removed before being brought into the building.”

 

[Doctor Fegg]

TfL sources suggested that an exemption for foldable Brompton bikes, which are manufactured in Britain under strict regulations, might be considered.

That's preposterous. There is no justification for "we're allowing Bromptons because they're made in the UK and we like them, but we're not allowing Terns because, er, Buy British!!11wtfbbq".

 

[renegademaster]

Inevitably I fear ebikes are going to end up with registration plates to be allowed anywhere. Not fully licensed like car but still with required registration

 

[Bletchleyite]

Inevitably I fear ebikes are going to end up with registration plates to be allowed anywhere. Not fully licensed like car but still with required registration

There is going to need to be something to differentiate the illegal rubbish from proper ones. Though TBH most of the illegal rubbish is clearly identified within half a second of looking at it, so an enforcement crackdown would do. Another option could be to have some sort of railway/TfL ebike registration scheme, where a permit can be obtained to take one on board on production of proof of purchase of a reputable CE approved model or conversion kit.

Speculative thread to continue discussion down this line: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...an-on-e-bikes-due-to-fires-be-avoided.271207/

 

[island]

That's preposterous. There is no justification for "we're allowing Bromptons because they're made in the UK and we like them, but we're not allowing Terns because, er, Buy British!!11wtfbbq".

Ultimately it's their property and their choice of who can enter and with what.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ultimately it's their property and their choice of who can enter and with what.

Though when it's funded by the taxpayer due consideration has to be given to what is appropriate - they don't have totally free will.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Though when it's funded by the taxpayer due consideration has to be given to what is appropriate - they don't have totally free will.

Exactly. Maladministration is a thing - traditionally defined as "bias, neglect, inattention, delay, incompetence, ineptitude, perversity, turpitude and so on" (after Richard Crossman). Government bodies can't just do what they like without showing that the decision has been taken carefully and equally.