Our ref: HSR/2/7
Head Office Circular: NP/182/23
13th October 2023
To: The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
ALL SHIPPING BRANCHES
REGIONAL COUNCILS
Dear Colleague,
EBIKES AND ESCOOTERS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT – FIRE RISK FROM BATTERIES
Following receipt of reports from Lead Officers, I have now established that e-scooters have been banned by all Train Operating Companies.
However, I remain concerned about the lack of restrictions on EBikes.
Your National Executive Committee, at its meeting on 12th October 2023, noted and adopted the following report from its Health and Safety Sub-committee:
We note that e-scooters have now been banned by all Train Operating Companies and welcome Stagecoach Buses decision to follow suit.
The General Secretary is instructed to write to all bus companies with who RMT has a relationship to ask whether they too have banned e-scooters and, if not, to urge them to do so forthwith.
The General Secretary is further instructed to write to all TOCs and bus companies urging them to ban e-bikes in a similar vein to the ban on e-scooters, referring to the statistics provided by the Lead Officer in his report and subsequent correspondence.
Branches and Regional Councils to be notified.
I am acting in line with these instructions. Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members.
Yours sincerely
Michael Lynch
General Secretary