E-scooters to be banned on public transport over fire concerns 

Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in e-scooters, can develop internal faults and overheat, potentially releasing toxic fumes, catching fire or exploding.

Flames and thick black smoke have damaged public transport vehicles in Madrid and Barcelona due to lithium-ion battery fires.

No deaths have been recorded due to these fires on public transport but there have been injuries and serious damage to the vehicles, including the complete loss of rail carriages.

Lithium-ion battery fires burn hotter — between 1000C and 2000C — than those involving conventional materials and are particularly difficult to extinguish.

Internationally, e-scooters have also been banned on public transport. They have been banned on buses, trains and trams in London, Barcelona and Madrid.

E-scooters have been banned on buses and trams in Berlin and Paris but they are still permitted on trains.

“Given their particular characteristics, there is a growing body of evidence of the fire/explosion risk associated with lithium-ion batteries on e-scooters,” a guidance document from the NTA said.

“As the ensuring of passenger safety on public transport vehicles is a primary responsibility of transport operators, it is considered both appropriate and necessary to address this emerging risk.

Accordingly, the NTA advises that transport operators delivering public transport services under contract to the NTA, should prohibit the carriage of e-scooters, including those that can be folded or carried, from such public transport services.

The new guidance applies to all bus, coach, Luas, DART and other Iarnród Éireann services operated under a service contract with the NTA.

“It is proposed that this restriction on bringing e-scooters onto the State provided public transport services will come into effect in early October of this year, subject to finalisation of operational arrangements and communications at individual transport operators,” the NTA said. 

There is higher risk of fire or explosions from e-scooters than other battery-operated personal-powered transporters like e-bikes.

The position of the batteries at the bottom of the e-scooter platform makes them more prone to physical damage than in e-bikes where the batteries are usually in a less vulnerable location.

E-scooters are a relatively new product and were unregulated in Ireland until earlier this year. The quality control of their construction is therefore not as mature or well developed as e-bikes and mobility scooters, which have been regulated for longer, the NTA said. 

The new restriction is subject to periodic review by the NTA and the transport operators.