Electrical Safety First

Hina Bokhari AM moved and Anne Clarke AM seconded the following motion:

“This Assembly Notes:  

• E-bike and e-scooter fires have been identified by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) as London’s fastest growing fire risk.  
• Electrical Safety First has found evidence of severe fire hazards associated with substandard lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters. 
• E-bikes and e-scooters batteries do not currently require third-party certification in order to ensure their safety, increasing the risk of unsafe products being sold and used across London. 
• Unregulated and often unsafe conversion kits are used to convert standard bikes to e-bikes are often sold online.

This Assembly calls on the Mayor to:  

• Advocate for third-party certification of the batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters: Support Electrical Safety First’s call to mandate third-party safety assessments, conducted by a government-approved body, for all e-bikes, e-scooters, and their lithium-ion batteries before they enter the UK market; 
• Promote regulation of online marketplaces – work with relevant authorities to push for mandatory safety accountability for online marketplaces, requiring them to conduct compliance checks and remove unsafe e-bikes and e-scooters from sale; and 
• Ensure adequate enforcement resources – call for increased funding and resources for Trading Standards and other regulatory bodies, so they can effectively monitor and enforce compliance with safety standards for e-bikes, e-scooters, and their components across London.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the motion was agreed unanimously.