As of 31 March 2025, non-folding e-bikes will be banned from most of the Transport for London network. The decision has been made to “ensure the safety of customers and staff”.
“The safety of Londoners is my top priority and, while most e-bikes are safe, there have been a small number of incidents where non-foldable e-bikes have caught fire on the transport system, which has caused me great concern. This is why, following a comprehensive review of the safety of e-bikes, TfL is banning all non-folding e-bikes on tube and rail services”, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said in a statement.
NEW: From 31 March 2025, all non-folding e-bikes will be banned on TfL’s tube and rail services.
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) March 26, 2025
While most e-bikes are safe, some adapted bikes have posed a major fire risk. The safety of Londoners is my top priority, and TfL will continue working to improve e-bike safety. pic.twitter.com/27dstXXxq8
While according to their own research, the main risk comes from regular bikes that are converted into e-bikes using DIY kits, Transport for London has decided to include purpose-built e-bikes in order to make it more easy for the new rules to be enforced. The only exception to the rule will be folding e-bikes, which are considered to be less likely to have been converted using DIY-kits. According to Transport for London, the ban will be applied until “improved product safety measures are in place for converted cycles, batteries and chargers”.
Series of recent fires on the London network
The reason for the ban is the fire risk, as the Transport for London network has been seeing multiple of those incidents recently. On 27 February, one of those fires happening at West London’s Rayners Lane station caused an explosion and prompted the train drivers’ union ASLEF to threaten with strikes if no measures were to be taken, a threat backend by the RMT and TSSA transport unions.
Rayners Lane underground station just now. This is why electric bikes shouldn’t be allowed on the tube. @TfL pic.twitter.com/VM0ysKzD8w
— Andy (@LightFrameShoot) February 27, 2025
“While we recognise the sustainable benefits e-bikes, and micromobility generally, bring to our city, the reality is that across London we have been seeing an e-bike or e-scooter fire every other day, on average, and we have particular concern about the risk posed by conversion kits or modified e-bikes. When these fires occur, they can be sudden, incredibly ferocious and produce smoke that is extremely toxic,” London Fire Brigade deputy commissioner Charlie Pugsley says.
As the ban goes into effect on 31 march, non-folding e-bikes will no longer be permitted on the London Underground, Overground, Elizabeth Line, and DLR. At this moment, full-size bikes are already banned on London’s bus and tram services. From 31 March onwards, non-folding e-bikes will only be permitted on the Woolwich Ferry, a select amount of river and coach services, and the dedicated Silvertown Tunnel Cycle Shuttle opening on 7 April.
