The Hamburg transport system Hochbahn announced a ban on e-scooters on its underground train network. It said its many tunnels and enclosed, relatively narrow carriages would present an increased safety risk should an e-scooter catch fire or give off vapour. The ban takes effect from 24 August.
The company said it was reacting to documented incidents from Barcelona and London where e-scooter battery fires had generated intense vapour clouds. It commissioned expert opinion from tunnel and traffic research body STUVA (Studiengesellschaft für Tunnel und Verkehrsanlagen).
“Until there are clear safety standards, the carriage of e-scooters is therefore banned,” it said in a statement. It noted a temporary ban in London and Barcelona and that work was underway between authorities and manufacturers to come up with a DIN-standard, although no timing of any new standards has been announced.
Electric wheelchairs already have safety standards and are not being banned, Hochbahn said. Mobility scooters, used by people with restricted mobility, are also exempt from the ban.
