Mum calls for TfL to ban e-bikes after daughter died in fire

Sofia Duarte, 21, died last January when a blaze caused by a converted e-bike's battery ripped through a flat block in southeast London.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) says Portuguese-born Sofia was the first person to die in the city as a result of an e-bike fire.

Her mum Maria Frasquilho Macarro, 59, and family friend Alda Simoes, 47, are determined to prevent further deaths caused by the bike batteries.

Sofia died aged 21. (Image: SWNS)

Alda is calling for Transport for London to introduce stricter regulations on London transport and in stations, via a petition on Change.org.

This comes as new Freedom of Information figures reveal over 900 illegal e-bikes were seized in the UK in the last year up to August, according to reports - an 83% increase on the year before.

One of the bikes seized had a top speed of 73mph, when the legal limit is 15.5mph - and the motor was 2000 watts when the limit is 250.

Conversion kits are available online for as little as £300.

She said: "The e-bikes aren't banned underground, only the electric scooters.

The E-bike. (Image: SWNS)

"I read that e-bikes are even allowed on some trains and in lifts.

"I once saw someone getting into a lift at the station with an e-bike and I refused to get in the lift with them.

"Underground, in a lift, or on a train, if there's a fire there's nowhere to run."

Sofia had been staying at her boyfriend's home in Bermondsey and was woken by a fire alarm after a converted e-bike charging in the building caught fire.

But she couldn't find her way out of the building as the flames spread on New Year's Day 2023.

The battery caused the building Sofia was in to set alight. (Image: SWNS)

Alda feels every e-bike fire death since then could have been prevented.

Her attention was first drawn to the issue of transport after seeing videos of an e-bike fire that occurred in Sutton Railway Station in March.

Alda said: "If that happened inside a train, lots of people could have died."

She realised currently, only e-scooters are banned on the TfL transport network, which happened after an e-scooter burst into flames on the Tube at Parsons Green station in November 2021.

She said: "With the bikes, I feel like they're waiting for something bad like that to happen before they can ban them."

Sofia's family now wants TfL to ban e-bikes. (Image: SWNS)

She is continuing to campaign to prevent future deaths so that Sofia "did not die in vain".

Alda added: "We can't always control deaths from things like cancer or car crashes, but we can prevent these deaths.

"There have been other deaths since Sofia's and I feel for those families going through what we went through."

Her latest petition, aimed at TfL, reads: "It's time for stricter regulations to ensure the safe use and parking of these vehicles.

"Our mission is not to eradicate e-bikes, but to promote safety measures that protect everyone.

TfL has commented on the issue. (Image: SWNS)

"An e-bike has exploded in the Sutton station platform this year. How catastrophic it could have been if it had exploded inside the train.

"An E-bike has the same level of energy as six hand grenades.

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"E- scooters and Uni-cycles are banned underground. Why not E-bikes?

"Help us honour Sofia's memory and ensure that no other person has to pay the price for a fatal lack of regulation surrounding e-bike usage."

A TfL spokesperson said: “Safety is our number one priority and we continuously review our risk assessments and the controls we have in place to ensure our customers can travel safely. As part of this process, we continue to discuss the potential risks associated with the carriage of e-bikes on TfL services with stakeholders.”