The mum of a 21-year-old who died after an e-bike caught fire on Old Kent Road is calling for stricter regulation in future, so her daughter ‘did not die in vain’.
Last year, Sofia Duarte lost her life in a fatal fire caused by the catastrophic failure of a lithium battery used to charge an e-bike.
The petition, set up by her mother and backed by the London Fire Brigade, calls for urgent action from the Government to implement regulations on e-bikes, e-scooters, and the batteries and chargers sold with them.
Currently ‘potentially dangerous’ chargers were discovered for sale in the UK, often imported from China, on eBay and Amazon.
London Fire Brigade data shows that fires involving e-bike and e-scooter batteries are London’s fastest-growing fire trend and on average there was a fire every two days in 2023.
Last year the total number of fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters went up almost 60% compared to 2022.
Sofia’s mother, Maria Frasquilho Macarro, has called on all Londoners to sign it. She and a family friend, Alda Simoes, said they aimed to channel their grief into preventing more people from losing their lives.
Maria said: “This matters so much to me because the most important thing in my whole world has been taken away – all because of some stupid bike.
“In honour of Sofia’s memory and the others who have sadly lost their lives too, sign the petition today.”
Since creating the petition last month, over 32,000 signatures have been collected in support of tighter rules. Electrical Safety First also welcomes the petition. The charity is also pushing for regulatory change with a Ten Minute Rule Bill expected to be tabled by Yvonne Fovargue MP in the first part of this year.
Alda demanded action urgently, commenting: “We don’t want Sofia to die in vain, sadly deaths are continuing to happen.
“Sign this petition and tell everyone you know to sign it. Sofia was the first death in London due to an e-bike fire. Tragically others have lost their lives up and down the UK, and there are many who have suffered serious injuries too. We must stop this happening today, not tomorrow.
“Together we can make change.”
Today (11 January) would have been Sofia’s 22nd birthday.
The petition can be signed here.