The Chingford Residents Association says the council must do more to make footpaths and pavements safe from ‘dangerous’ e-bikes
The Office for Product Safety and Standards has stated that at least ten people have lost their lives in fires started by lithium-ion batteries powering e-bikes or e-scooters. London Fire Brigade has also attended nearly 200 fires related to these devices with experts now urging riders to take safety concerns seriously.
In 2023, 52 pedestrians were seriously injured by e-scooters and 134 were slightly injured and from reports it is regularly reported that these and e-bikes are seen being ridden on the footpath and even in one case a large bike was ridden into a local store.
We are also aware of incidents of council cargo bikes being ridden on the footpath and due to their size they create an even more significant danger to pedestrians and especially children.
There have been comments by some of the older members of the population being reluctant to go out due to the dangers posed by the illegal use of the footpaths and alleyways by pedal cycles, e-bikes and e-scooters plus cargo bikes.
We hope that the council will now put in place an action plan to make footpaths and pavements safe for all pedestrians.
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