After nearly an hour, services on Onpassive metro station were restored after passengers on the Dubai Metro were informed of a delay caused by smoke detected from an electric scooter on Wednesday morning.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) took to their social media account to announce the delay. The authority said that a bus service has been provided to transport passengers from the station.
In a tweet, the RTA said, “For Dubai Metro Red line users, expected delay at ‘Onpassive’ station due to smoke detected from an electric scooter of one of the passengers”.
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Nayibe, a Colombian who was travelling on the Red Line said that the metro didn’t stop at her final destination – Onpassive metro station.
“I was planning to get down at Onpassive, however, the metro didn’t stop which puzzled all the commuters. I then got down at Business Bay, which was flooded with other passengers and booked a taxi through Careem.”
Other passengers thought that there was an usual delay too. Fazal Golandaz, another passenger said, “I felt that there was a delay when I got on the train at BurJuman station and was stopping for longer than usual at every stop.”
“In fact, when I planned to get out at Onpassive, the train didn’t stop,” he added. “So, I got off at Equiti and took the Red Line metro towards Centrepoint again, in hopes that the train would stop. However, it took skipped over Onpassive again and I finally got off at Business Bay, from where I took a taxi.”
A Khaleej Times reader said that she heard the announcement in the Metro that said that delays are expected. “I was planning to get off at Mall of the Emirates station. I boarded the train at Union, but later it stopped between Business Bay and Onpassive, which is when I heard an announcement saying that delays are expected,” Tendai Chimtokoma said.
“The train didn’t stop at Onpassive, but it did stop at Equiti – where most passengers got down. My journey was delayed by around 20 minutes,” the Malawian said.
Last-mile connectivity
E-scooters have become increasingly popular among UAE residents because of their practicality. They are also appropriately promoted as first- and last-mile green mobility solutions for short distances.
Experts have warned against using substandard e-scooters and easily available online chargers. E-scooters are powered by lithium-ion batteries that can overheat, catch fire and cause an explosion, especially when damaged or manufactured defectively.
Although there is no available data on e-scooters catching fire, there have been a couple of instances of e-scooter batteries overheating and exploding.
How you can stay safe
E-scooter riders must always bear in mind to make safety a priority. Here are various tips culled from various sources to reduce the risk of fire when charging an e-scooter:
- Never charge overnight, while you are out, or asleep
- Stay away from substandard scooter and chargers that are easily available online
- Don’t buy cheap and knock-off replacement lithium batteries. Buy from reputable sellers only
- Keep an eye out for warning signs that your battery might be failing and becoming a fire risk
- Install smoke alarms where you charge your batteries
- Use the correct charger for your battery
- Unplug your charger once the battery has finished charging