The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, promised this Wednesday to carry out greater control and monitoring of stores selling electric bicycles and mopeds, a day after the death of four people in a fire caused by a lithium battery in a business sale and repair of these devices.
“While electric bikes are an important part of our transportation network and essential to many small businesses, our message is clear: there will be zero tolerance for any activity that endangers New Yorkers,” the mayor said at an event attended by municipal fire brigade and small business commissioners.
So far this year, 13 deaths and 66 people have been injured in 108 fires caused by lithium batteries, according to official data.
The mayor insisted that the new action plan will include the immediate investigation of complaints about potentially dangerous conditions of storage or handling of lithium batteries in bicycle shops.
Likewise, an education campaign will be launched for the owners of these premises on the dangers of these batteries and on the best practices to prevent fires.
“From now on, calls to 311 (emergency phone) about questionable activity in bicycle repair shops or anywhere else that charges batteries will receive a response from the local fire station within 12 hours, within 12 hours. effort to save lives”, stressed the mayor.
Yesterday’s fire was registered in a local neighborhood of Chinatown, located in the district of Manhattan and which was located on the ground floor of a residential building.
In addition to the deaths of two men and two women, two other people were hospitalized in serious condition.
