Hamburg bans electric scooters from public transport

As of August 24, electric kick scooters will no longer be allowed on the Hamburg subway. As soon as there are “clear safety statuses”, Hamburger Hochbahn intends to reconsider the decision.

According to the subway operator Hamburger Hochbahn, this decision is a reaction to internationally documented cases in Barcelona and London, among others, in which fires of electric scooters batteries with heavy smoke development have occurred. In these two cities, too, it is now forbidden to take electric kick scooters on the subway.

According to an expert opinion commissioned by Hochbahn, the Hamburg subway system with its many tunnel sections and segregated carriages poses too high a risk of passengers suffering health damage from possible smoke development. Until clear safety standards are in place, the use of electric scooters is therefore prohibited. Passengers are to be “informed about this new regulation, among other things, by pictograms at the entrances to stops.”

Hochbahn emphasizes that electric wheelchairs and ride-on electric scooters, which are frequently used by people with limited mobility, are not affected by the ban. Appropriate safety standards already exist for these types of vehicles.

twitter.com, hochbahn.de (in German)