E-bike seller fined $7k for non-compliant devices which caused 2 fires
The owner of an electric bicycle shop has been fined $7,000 for selling a non-compliant battery and an illegally modified power-assisted bicycle (PAB) which caused fires.
The non-compliant devices were linked to two separate blazes in Hougang and Bukit Batok in 2024, and caused one of the users to suffer burns.
Prince Bryan Tan, 29, the sales and marketing manager of Drive Bikes Singapore, admitted to two charges in the Republic’s first such prosecution on Jan 23.
The first offence is under the Road Traffic Act for causing a 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 has an electric motor to help with pedalling.
The e-bikes linked to Tan’s two charges had batteries of a higher capacity than what were originally installed.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that Tan sold an incompatible battery on Jan 27, 2024, which went up in flames when the e-bike user was riding 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.
On Feb 21, 2024, Tan also sold an e-bike fitted with a battery that was not compliant with safety certifications.
The e-bike caught fire at the customer’s home in Bukit Batok Street 32 on April 25 that year, causing significant damage to the flat.
LTA prosecuting officer Nickolaus Ng asked for a $7,000 fine, noting that the offences resulted in injury and property damage.
Mr Ng said there was also a business element involved as Tan had gained profits from selling the non-compliant devices. The prosecutor added that Tan has compensated the victims.
Tan, who did not have a lawyer, said nothing during mitigation.
LTA said non-compliant active mobility devices pose severe fire risks and have led to six deaths since 2019.
The authority has 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.
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.
First-time offenders who cause a PAB to be illegally modified, or sell a non-complaint PAB, can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both for each offence.
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