Sofia Duarte, a vibrant 21-year-old with dreams as bright as her smile, tragically lost her life in a house fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery on New Year's Day 2023. She was at her boyfriend's house celebrating the arrival of the new year when disaster struck. Five people managed to escape through the second-floor window but to our devastation Sofia was trapped inside.

Her untimely death has left an indelible mark on those who loved her. Sofia's mother and I are now channeling our grief into preventing more tragedies like Sofia's from happening again. This petition calls for stronger legislation on e-bikes and e-scooters (common users of lithium-ion batteries) to ensure their safe usage.

Lithium-ion batteries are known for their high energy density but also for their potential safety hazards if not properly handled or maintained correctly. According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB) this year up to the end of August, there were 104 fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters, which resulted in 3 deaths and 50 injuries in London and many more deaths across the country.

We beg MPs to urge the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)  to implement stricter regulations that would cover:

• An immediate commitment from the Government to prioritize fire safety within any new standards, regulations, or frameworks relating to e-scooters and e-bikes.
• Enforce quality control and standards governing the sale of the lithium-ion batteries and chargers (and conversion kits) for electric-powered personal vehicles. People are unknowingly purchasing unsafe batteries and chargers.
• Provide clear guidelines for proper handling and storage of these  batteries.
• Urgent research is needed to fully understand the dangers of conversion kits for e-bikes, batteries and chargers and inform the introduction of specific product safety standards.
• Legislation brought forward that gives TFL and other transport authorities across the UK, the power to regulate the use of e-bikes and e-scooters (should they be legalised after trials have finished).

If measures are not taken, the number of deaths will increase and I am sure nobody wants this.

Let us honour Sofia’s memory by ensuring no other family has to endure such an unthinkable loss due to preventable causes.

PLESE HELP US PREVENT THESE UNNECESSARY DEATHS AND SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY!!!

IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE FATALITIES CAUSED BY E-BIKES FIRES...

Sofia Duarte -  21 years old - London 2023

Mizanur Rahman - 41 years old - London 2023

Oliver Peden - 4 years old - Cambridge 2023

Lilly Peden - 8 years old - Cambridge 2023

Gemma Gremeney - 31 years old - Cambridge 2023

Rebecca Downes - 44 years old - Blackpool 2022

Gary Shearer - Merseyside 2023

Rab Shearer - Merseyside 2023

Bobby Lee - 74 years old - London 2023

Please check advice on e-bikes on the link below.

- "Charge Safe" campaign from London Fire Brigade:

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/lithium-batteries/charging-electric-bike-and-electric-scooter-lithium-batteries/