E-scooter & hoverboard ban on GTR

[MrJeeves]

I've just heard an announcement by an OBS on a GatEx service stating that e-scooters, hoverboards and e-bikes will be banned on all GTR services from 1 June this year.

Can't see anything online about this yet, but including e-bikes seems a little overkill.

Can't see anything online about this yet

Hi David, in line with other UK train operators, and Rail Delivery Group advice, no e-scooters will be allowed onboard our services or at our stations from 01 June due to the serious safety risk they pose, with the risk of explosion, fire or release of toxic gas. ^Kirsty

https://twitter.com/SouthernRailUK/status/1643664156011134996

Nevermind! Official confirmation.

 

[northwichcat]

but including e-bikes seems a little overkill.

E-bikes are very heavy compared to ordinary bikes, so they could do more damage than an ordinary if they were to fall over. I don't know if the risk of them falling over would actually be lower or not.

 

[30120]

The problem may be the possibility of the lithium batteries catching fire in an enclosed space.

 

[E27007]

I believe the issue is of safety, the erratic behaviour of the batteries, a damaged or faulty battery can appear to be healthy only to ignite several hours after being damaged, Such fires are hard to constrain, the batteries may reignite after dowsing and damping.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

I wonder how long until carrying e-scooters on public transport is actually against the law (and not company policies as it is at the moment)

 

[northwichcat]

The problem may be the possibility of the lithium batteries catching fire in an enclosed space.

The reply from Southern on the linked tweet confirms this.

due to the serious safety risk they pose, with the risk of explosion, fire or release of toxic gas

 

[TPO]

Battery issues seems to me to be the common thread.

LiPO fires are particularly nasty, basically you just have to let them burn out. Fire extinguishers mainly don't work on them (you can get single-shot very specialist extinguishers but they only work on little LiPO batteries, but they are VERY specialist). A big enough fire blanket can contain the fire whilst it burns out- if big enough. The cheaper batteries with high capacity but poor charge/discharge control are the main issue- the sort of thing used on cheap cloned hoverboards and scooters which haven't been properly tested (dearth of Trading Standards Officers these days).

There's a reason why the model aircraft community use fireproof LiPO bags to charge the cells and use balance boards.

OK, this may be an over-reaction, but I can see why it has come up.

TPO

 

[norbitonflyer]

e-bikes are essentially electric mopeds. Other mopeds aren't allowed on trains

 

[markymark2000]

It's a bit like Covid this isn't it. It's a danger but thankfully, the batteries have agreed to not cause issues until the 1st June. It's only after that when they will start to cause problems!

 

[higthomas]

I'm really annoyed but not surprised by this. Properly manufactured batteries and chargers pose little risk of catching fire. No more than the many laptops around. But because no one seems to be able to deal with people selling dodgy ones on Amazon, all e-bikes end up banned, which is a massive shame because they open up the country to many, especially older and disabled people.

Edit: actually looking at the linked tweet though, it sounds like it will just be e-scooters. Still annoying, but given they're not really legally useful it's fairly moot.

 

[66701GBRF]

It's a bit like Covid this isn't it. It's a danger but thankfully, the batteries have agreed to not cause issues until the 1st June. It's only after that when they will start to cause problems!

Do you want plenty of notice to make other arrangements or would you prefer to rock up tomorrow to find they are banned. Not sure what COVID has to do with anything.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The reply from Southern on the linked tweet confirms this.

Though only mentions scooters, same as almost every TOC.

I can see them being allowed again when there are approved CE marked designs.

 

[markymark2000]

Do you want plenty of notice to make other arrangements or would you prefer to rock up tomorrow to find they are banned. Not sure what COVID has to do with anything.

If they are that dangerous, they should be banned much sooners.

It's similar to Covid with all of the measures taking place in the future rather than immediate. Deadly thing but it's ok and it has agreed not to cause issues for a while.

 

[Horizon22]

London Underground has had that banned for a while now - they were already cuatious about them but the incident at Parsons Green put an end to that.

Dodgy batteries and chargers are the main issue.

 

[Bletchleyite]

From Southern:

Electric bikes will be allowed on our trains, however they must not be charged onboard our trains or in our stations. The ban from 01 June applies to e-scooters, e-unicycles, e-skateboards and hoverboards only. ^Kirsty

So e-bikes still permitted in line with other TOCs.

 

[theageofthetra]

From Southern:



So e-bikes still permitted in line with other TOCs.

Banned on Southeastern from June.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

If someone had one that fit in their bag, is there anything stopping them putting it in their bag round the corner from the station, then taking it out once they leave the station on the other end?

(I'd like to note I have no intention of doing this, nor do I own any of the restricted transportation)

 

[MrJeeves]

If someone had one that fit in their bag, is there anything stopping them putting it in their bag round the corner from the station, then taking it out once they leave the station on the other end?

(I'd like to note I have no intention of doing this, nor do I own any of the restricted transportation)

Not really.

 

[LowLevel]

If someone had one that fit in their bag, is there anything stopping them putting it in their bag round the corner from the station, then taking it out once they leave the station on the other end?

(I'd like to note I have no intention of doing this, nor do I own any of the restricted transportation)

I've had someone try that. They were furious when I noticed it and made them get off the train mid journey on a Sunday night.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

but including e-bikes seems a little overkill.

I believe I was on the same GX as you and he didn't mention e-cycles in a later announcement at Preston Park !

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I've had someone try that. They were furious when I noticed it and made them get off the train mid journey on a Sunday night.

How did you notice it? Was their bag left open?

 

[Oxfordblues]

Yes, I do this. I detach the battery before arriving at the station and put it in my back-pack (it's not that heavy). At first glance the bike looks like an ordinary pedal-cycle and nobody seems to mind.

 

[bramling]

I'm really annoyed but not surprised by this. Properly manufactured batteries and chargers pose little risk of catching fire. No more than the many laptops around. But because no one seems to be able to deal with people selling dodgy ones on Amazon, all e-bikes end up banned, which is a massive shame because they open up the country to many, especially older and disabled people.

On the latter point, e-bikes seem to be quite rare on trains (in the London area at least), whilst e-scooters seem to have a tendency to be used by deplorables, in some cases seemingly in conjunction with wearing a Covid mask.

I can’t help but have formed the personal opinion that e-scooters are another objectionable thing which seemed to spawn during Covid, and can’t help but be quite pleased if they get restricted so as to force a dialing back on their prevalence.

 

[LowLevel]

How did you notice it? Was their bag left open?

The handle bar was sticking out of the top of the bag.

 

[MrJeeves]

I've had someone try that. They were furious when I noticed it and made them get off the train mid journey on a Sunday night.

You'd be fine with me taking multiple 100Wh power banks and laptops with me, though?

The rules are strange — I could get on a train with as many batteries as I want, and a pedal bike, but not a bike that uses that battery if I plug it in.

Would you also kick someone off if they only had the battery and no bike? At what point does it change from e-bike to a battery and a bike?

 

[infobleep]

Why would anyone want to ride an e-bike given they could be so dangerous?

I would not wish to be on a bike that catches fire.

 

[LowLevel]

You'd be fine with me taking multiple 100Wh power banks and laptops with me, though?

The rules are strange — I could get on a train with as many batteries as I want, and a pedal bike, but not a bike that uses that battery if I plug it in.

Would you also kick someone off if they only had the battery and no bike? At what point does it change from e-bike to a battery and a bike?

It is what it is. I haven't been told not to move my train with power banks and laptops on it, I have however been told such with e-scooters.

It seems to have worked and we see very few of them now. Good riddance. They were constantly being left sticking out into the aisle and having to turn the plugs off because some numpty won't listen to an instruction not to plug them in is tedious.

 

[E27007]

The e-scooters/bikes/noards are not being singled out, they are being added to a updated list of banned objects or activities, would you want smoking to allowed again, or carrying a gallon of petrol in a container on the trains?

 

[Harpers Tate]

If the issue is with risk posed by batteries - should this extend to the carrying of cordless power tools?

 

[Surreytraveller]

You'd be fine with me taking multiple 100Wh power banks and laptops with me, though?

The rules are strange — I could get on a train with as many batteries as I want, and a pedal bike, but not a bike that uses that battery if I plug it in.

Would you also kick someone off if they only had the battery and no bike? At what point does it change from e-bike to a battery and a bike?

The difference is e-scooters use batteries which aren't regulated and not built to the same standards as batteries which come with laptops and e-bikes etc

If the issue is with risk posed by batteries - should this extend to the carrying of cordless power tools?

No. See above.

If the issue is with risk posed by batteries - should this extend to the carrying of cordless power tools?

No. See above.