London Fire Brigade has announced its support for the TfL ban of private e-scooters being used on London's transport network.

TfL's ban is due to come into force on Monday December 13 following an incident where an e-scooter caught fire on a busy tube train in November.

The e-scooter caught light while the train stopped at Parsons Green underground station.

No one was seriously injured during the incident but one passenger did suffer from smoke inhalation, bringing the use of e-scooters on London transport into an urgent TfL review.

The ban was announced on Thursday, December 9 where TfL revealed it would come into effect on Monday, December 13.

Under the new rules, customers with an e-scooter or e-unicycle will not be allowed to enter the premises of a TfL network or travel on any tube, buses, overground, TfL rail, tram or DLR service.

The Metropolitan Police Service launched a crackdown on the illegal use of e-scooters on the public highway just days before with ScotRail also considering a similar ban.

The Brigade has backed the ban after firefighters have attended more than 50 fires involving e-scooters and e-bikes this year– which is double the total amount seen in 2020.

It has already issued an urgent safety warning earlier this year following concerns of a rise in fires involving electric bikes and e-scooters in recent months.

One recent case involved firefighters attending a blaze caused by an electric bike being lent against a hallway radiator catching light.

The majority of these fires have taken place in homes, the Brigade recognises that there could be an increase in outside cases when people return to regular work and travel patterns.

These fires have been found to "be particularly ferocious and fierce enough to pose an immediate danger to residents," according to fire investigators.

When these bikes and scooters are stored in communal areas and corridors they also stop people from safely escaping a fire.

The Brigade has also said that is concerned with faulty third-party batteries.

This is because many of the incidents that firefighters have been attending involve batteries that have been sourced via the internet and therefore, don’t meet the necessary safety standards.

The Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Paul Jennings, said: “We have growing concerns about the safety of e-scooters and e-bikes due to the amount of fires we are seeing involving them, so we fully support TfL’s ban of private e-scooters on public transport.

“Fires are dangerous and terrifying wherever they happen, but a fire on the transport network has the potential to become very serious very quickly and involve hundreds of people, particularly on trains where evacuation may be challenging, so anything that can be done to mitigate that risk is a positive step.

“We also have concerns around people trying to tackle these fires themselves, thinking the vapours given off are only steam, when they actually contain harmful and toxic gases.

“You should never try to tackle a fire yourself. Leave it to the professionals. As soon as you become aware of a fire in your property, get out, stay out, close the door behind you and call 999."

Firefighters’ top safety tips for e-scooters and e-bikes

The London Fire Brigade has outlined its top safety tips for the use of e-scooters and e-bikes:

• Always use the correct charger for the product and buy an official one from a reputable seller.
• Batteries can get warm during their use and it is advisable to allow them to cool down before attempting to re-charge as they could be more susceptible to failure.
• Batteries should always be charged on hard flat surfaces where heat can dissipate.
• Batteries can also pose a risk if they have been damaged, so try to ensure they are not getting knocked around while in use or while being carried as spares as this can increase the chance of damage to cells. They should also never be exposed to extremes of temperature.
• You should always make sure you unplug your charger once it’s finished charging. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions when charging and we would advise not to leave it unattended or while people are asleep.
• Ensure you have smoke alarms fitted in areas where e-bikes or e-scooters are being charged and make sure they are tested regularly.
• Never block your escape route with anything, including bikes and scooters. Store them somewhere away from a main through route and make sure you and your family have an escape plan in place in the event of a fire.