information issued for users, owners and transport
operators
guidance designed to ensure public safety and mitigate
fire risk
Information around how to safely purchase, charge and use e-bikes
and e-scooters has been published by the government today (1
February 2024) to improve consumer safety.
Following extensive consultation with industry, guidance on
battery safety for both e-scooters and
e-bikes will raise
awareness for owners on how to safely purchase an e-cycle or
e-scooter, ensure it meets manufacturing requirements and is only
bought from reputable sellers. The documents also cover safe
storage and charging, the warning signs for fire risk and how to
address them, and how to dispose of batteries responsibly.
The guidance also reminds people that e-scooters cannot be used
legally on roads unless they are part of an official rental
trial.
Separate guidance has been issued to help public transport
operators assess and manage fire risks associated with the
carriage of e-bikes and e-scooters on trains and buses. Similar
information has been produced for those managing premises such as
schools and workplaces.
Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, , said:
Safety has always been our top priority, which is why our latest
guidance aims to improve the awareness of e-bike and e-scooter
users in the trial areas where they’re authorised.
Today’s announcement follows the Home Offices’s advice on fire
safety for e-scooters and e-bikes, which was published last year.
To further understand the safety of the lithium-ion batteries
used in e-cycles and e-scooters, the Office for Product Safety
and Standard (OPSS) is currently conducting a safety study and
taking enforcement action where unsafe products are found.
The extension of e-scooter trials until
May 2026 will also enable us to build on current learning across
areas including usage, safety and environmental impacts, and to
explore changing travel patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic.
