E-bike seller to be charged over non-compliant devices linked to fires in Hougang, Bukit Batok
Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 23 Jan 2025
Author: Kok Yufeng
This is the first such prosecution of its kind.
The sales and marketing manager of an electric bicycle shop will be charged on Jan 23 over allegedly selling a non-compliant battery and a modified e-bike fitted with such a battery, in the first such prosecution of its kind.
The sold battery ignited when the e-bike it was installed on was being ridden in Hougang, while the modified e-bike caught fire at a home in Bukit Batok.
On Jan 22, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said Mr Prince Bryan Tan, 28, of Drive Bikes Singapore, will be charged with two offences.
The first offence is under the Road Traffic Act for causing a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) to be illegally modified, and the second is under the Active Mobility Act for selling a non-compliant PAB.
A PAB, known more commonly as an e-bike, looks like a conventional bicycle but is equipped with an electric motor to assist with pedalling.
LTA said the Road Traffic Act charge relates to the alleged sale of an incompatible battery by Mr Tan on Jan 27, 2024.
The battery went up in flames when the user’s e-bike was being ridden in Hougang Avenue 5 three months later, on April 27, 2024.
According to a Facebook post by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng, the e-bike user suffered burns and needed skin grafting.
Mr Tan also allegedly sold an e-bike fitted with a battery that voided the device’s EN15194 safety certification.
The sale was said to have taken place on Feb 21, 2024, and the e-bike caught fire at the customer’s residence in Bukit Batok Street 32 on April 25 that year, causing significant damage to the home.
The e-bikes linked to both fires had batteries of a higher capacity than what was originally installed.
LTA said non-compliant active mobility devices pose severe fire risks and have led to six deaths since 2019.
To ensure path and fire safety, the authority has already put in place regulatory requirements for motorised devices, including mandatory compliance with safety standards such as EN15194.
These standards require the devices to pass a series of tests, including the safety of their electrical systems. Only devices that meet these standards can be imported and used in Singapore.
LTA said it works closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Singapore Customs to stem the inflow of non-compliant devices by identifying and taking enforcement action against those who import such devices without approval.
It also urged the public to buy active mobility devices only from reputable sources, and to check for defects and modifications when purchasing second-hand devices online.
Residents who find motorised mobility devices that could pose fire risks can make a report to their respective town councils, management corporations, or to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) via the myResponder app, LTA said.
The authority noted that regular enforcement is also carried against errant users and retailers.
In the first half of 2024, more than 400 non-compliant devices were seized and 10 offences of selling such devices were found.
SCDF said in February 2024 that fires involving active mobility devices have persisted despite regulatory measures, noting that many users have been tampering with the batteries in these devices so they last longer.
In 2023, there were 55 fires involving active mobility devices, up 31 per cent from the 42 fires in 2022. Before that, the number of such fires had been steadily decreasing from 2019 to 2022.
For causing a PAB to be illegally modified, first-time offenders can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both. Companies can be fined up to $40,000.
The offence of selling a non-compliant PAB carries the same maximum penalty.
LTA said those found guilty of using non-compliant active mobility devices may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. Repeat offenders face a fine of up to $20,000, jail for up to a year, or both.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
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