Transport for London bans e-scooters and e-unicycles from network

Transport for London (TfL) is to ban people from taking e-scooters and e-unicycles on its network even if they are folded and being carried, after a number of fires caused by the devices.

Tube passengers recently had to abandon a train at Parsons Green after a blaze, while another device held by TfL in lost property caught fire in October.

People in possession of one will not be allowed to use the network from Monday.

The ban does not apply to e-bikes or mobility scooters.

Research by TfL suggested the problem with e-scooters and e-unicycles stems from defective batteries, which when ruptured can catch alight and emit toxic smoke.

Anyone trying to take one of the devices on to the Tube, buses, Overground, TfL Rail, Trams and DLR could be fined up to £1,000.

The only e-scooters legally allowed on London's roads are those hired in certain boroughs through TfL's trial rental scheme, as permitted by the Department for Transport (DfT). These are also subject to the ban.

TfL's safety officer Lilli Matson said the organisation had been "extremely worried" by recent incidents on public transport services.

She added: "If this were to happen again and fires occurred in an enclosed area like a Tube train or a bus, there could be significant harm to both customers and staff, as well as secondary injuries from customers trying to escape the area."