Janet
From my research it seems that policies on electric bicycles (e-bikes) and (certain up-market) mobility scooters very often address safety concerns, especially regarding fire risks associated with their lithium-ion batteries. Most policies prohibit bringing e-bikes or mobility scooters fitted with lithium-ion batteries inside buildings and generally restrict their use to designated outdoor areas or racks. Charging is also typically restricted, and policies often recommend following manufacturer guidelines for safe charging practices.
That said, we allow mobility scooters with lead-acid batteries to be charged in the entrance foyers of our blocks of flats so long as they do not obstruct the fire exits. We consider their charging to be no more dangerous than that carried out 24/7 on our stair-lifts.
Any machines with lithium-ion batteries (and thus all e-bikes) on the other hand have to be stored and charged in a designated, lockable shed well away from our flats – that also houses bulky items such as the almshouse BBQ! So far, none of our residents have lithium-ion powered mobility scooters – and we fear that (a) our shed will be too small for them as well as the bikes and (b) too far from our flats anyway. By definition, scooter users can’t walk far.
We may have to consider getting special storage units close to the flats for e-scooters- and maybe the residents will have to pay for their own units as they don’t come cheap. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. The likelihood is that those who could afford ‘swep-up’ e-scooters could also afford the secure storage boxes … .
Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk