E-scooters and bikes banned from buildings on campus over fire concern
The University of Leeds has banned electric scooters and bikes from being brought into its buildings over concern that they pose a fire risk.
It comes after an e-scooter fire caused significant damage to a building on Cromer Terrace and fire services across the country have warned of a rise in fatalities and injuries caused by lithium batteries.
Students and staff are instead being told to store the devices, as well as electric hoverboards and skateboards, in external bike shelters and lockers.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: “We recognise the impact this may have on electric bike users. To support the continued use of electric bikes the University is working to install lockable external charging points in locations across campus.”
These external charging points will be in place before the start of the new semester with details announced in due course.
The University says it will be operating an amnesty period until January 2024 at which point disciplinary action may be taken against those who continue to charge or store the devices inside buildings on campus.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service issued a warning about the dangers of lithium batteries earlier this year after an electric motorbike exploded in a home in Halifax.
The incident, which was caught on camera, took place in the early hours of the morning and resulted in five people having to receive medical treatment.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We have released the shocking video after the owner of the property, in Halifax, agreed it needed to be seen, to educate the public on the dangers of lithium batteries.”
“While fires involving lithium batteries are common, having a video showing the violence of the fire’s development is not. It’s clear to see in the video that the fire is absolutely horrifying – none of us would want this to happen in our homes.”
“Because lithium batteries can be found in a range of items, we frequently attend fires involving them. They can be found in cars, bikes, scooters, laptops, phones, and e-cigarettes, amongst many other items.”
“Any other type of fire we deal with has usually developed slowly, and people are able to get out quickly. However, battery fires are so ferocious and spread so quickly that there isn’t as much time to escape.”
The University of Sussex banned e-scooters in January 2022 following several near-misses with pedestrians and after a crash which killed a rider near its campus. It came after similar concerns were also raised over the fire risk posed by lithium batteries, especially in student accommodation.
Sarah Gayton, a campaigner for National Federation of the Blind of the UK, told The Gryphon that blind and visually impaired people, who already face challenges in evacuating during a fire, were at particular risk given the speed at which fires from lithium batteries can spread.
She says the ban on the University of Leeds campus should be brought in immediately.
“The amnesty is not worth the risk when people have already been killed or seriously injured in fires with them. There should be an instant ban.”
