It is the risk of fire that on Monday 25 November caused the authorities in the Swedish capital Stockholm to outlaw electric trains in public transport.
From Monday 25 November, new rules apply to the use of electric trams in Stockholm's public transport.
Electric scooters such as electric scooters and electric scooters may no longer be taken on the metro. The ban is due to the safety risk that the city council believes is associated with lithium batteries.
Lithium batteries pose a particular risk because they can catch fire at short notice, and these fires are both difficult to handle and extinguish.
According to Pelle Rytterlund, who is the safety director of Stockholm's traffic management, it is a particular challenge to handle this risk in the metro, where traffic primarily takes place in tunnels and at stations that are predominantly indoors.
That's what Mestmotor writes.
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While electric scooters are now completely banned in the metro, it is still possible to bring them in other means of transport under certain conditions.
However, it is not permitted to charge them on any form of public transport. The traffic administration has emphasized that the rules can be adjusted in the future if the need for it proves necessary.
The decision comes as part of a wider effort to improve safety in Stockholm's public transport system. The risk of fire in closed and hard-to-reach environments, such as those found in the subway, has been a central factor in the decision.
Other types of public transport, such as buses and trains, allow for more controlled handling of electric coaches.
Although the rules may seem extensive to some users, the safety director points out that the priority is passenger safety. The fire risk of lithium batteries has been the subject of increasing attention, both in Sweden and internationally, and several cities are considering similar measures.
With the new rules, Stockholm's traffic management emphasizes that safety in public transport is crucial and that adaptations may be necessary to meet changing technological challenges.
However, drivers do not have it much easier in Stockholm. The city government has decided to introduce a number of environmental zones that completely prohibit anything but electric cars. Read more about it here .
