Deliveroo riders taught by London Fire Brigade about e-bike risks

Deliveroo riders are to be taught about the fire risk surrounding e-bikes.

The food delivery riders, who often use e-bikes as part of their work, will be given safety information by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) at a special event at Shoreditch Fire Station on Tuesday.

They will also be shown a burnt out e-bike and e-scooter after they caught fire.

The LFB says e-bikes and e-scooters are the capital’s fastest growing fire risk.

Paul Bedford, director of policy and sustainability at Deliveroo, said: “The safety of our riders is a top priority and we’re proud to partner with the London Fire Brigade on its #ChargeSafe campaign.

“We support riders who want to use sustainable vehicles whilst riding with us, but it’s so important those who sell this equipment ensure it meets the highest safety standards.”

He added that the events with LFB, which have also been held in Ealing, Wimbledon and Marble Arch, were a “fantastic platform” to engage with riders about using e-bikes “safely and responsibly”.

In September last year, a food delivery rider was seriously injured when his electric bike caught fire while charging in a bedroom in Highgate.

LFB reported a 78% increase in e-bike fires in 2023 compared with 2022.

The brigade said there were 155 e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter fires recorded last year, and so far this year, there had been about 100 e-bike and e-scooter fires – an average of one fire every two days in London.

On 26 July, 10 people, including a baby, escaped a house fire in Ilford that was believed to have been caused by the failure of an e-bike battery.

Part of the ground floor, an internal staircase and most of the first floor of the mid-terraced house was damaged by fire.

The LFB recommends people take safety measures including:

• Not converting pedal bikes into e-bikes using DIY kits bought online, as they “can be very dangerous” and “pose a higher risk of fire”
• Using a professional or competent person to carry out any bike conversion and to buy a new battery – not a second-hand one – from a reputable seller
• Using the correct charger, do not over-charge the battery and “never charge an e-bike or e-scooter unattended or when you’re sleeping”
• Not charging e-bikes on an escape route, such as in a hallway

The LFB said it would like to replicate its work with Deliveroo with other gig-economy companies like Uber Eats and Just Eat.

The brigade said it had also been working with Amazon so that people who buy an e-bike, e-scooter or accessory such as a battery pack, conversion kit or charger receive charging safety tips directly after their purchase.

Craig Carter, London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner for prevention and protection, said it was “extremely positive” to partner with Deliveroo and Amazon

“We encourage all companies with an interest in e-bikes to take the same approach to ensure safety advice is reaching even more people,” he said.