Govt to take action against defaulting EV firms in e-scooter fire accidents, says Nitin Gadkari

With increasing incidents of electric two-wheelers catching fire, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the government will issue necessary orders on defaulting companies after receiving the report of an expert panel that has been formed to enquire into the matter.

In a series of tweets, Gadkari said several mishaps involving electric two-wheelers have come to light in the last two months.

"We have constituted an expert committee to enquire into these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps.

"Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies," the road transport and highways minister said.

Gadkari added: "We will soon issue quality-centric guidelines for Electric Vehicles."

The minister asserted that if any company is found negligent in its processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered.

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Meanwhile, companies may take advance action to recall all defective batches of vehicles immediately, Gadkari tweeted. "Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji, our government is committed to ensure safety of each and every commuter," he tweeted.

Telangana 

The development comes in the wake of a 80-year old man dying and three of his family members suffering burn injuries on Wednesday when the battery of an electric scooter plugged in for charging exploded at their house in Nizamabad district.

The octogenarian and those injured were admitted to a hospital in Nizamabad town, but after the elderly man's condition became critical he was referred to a hospital in Hyderabad, but he succumbed to the injuries on the way, police said.

Based on a complaint by the son of the deceased, a case under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life) of the IPC was registered against the electric vehicle company, a police official added.

Pune

On 26 March an Ola electric scooter caught fire in Lohegaon area of Pune. The cause of the fire was, however, not clear. The government had ordered a probe into it. The Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) was asked to probe the circumstances that led to the incident and also suggest remedial measures, according to the road transport ministry.

The ministry had also asked CFEES to share the findings along with its suggestions on measures to prevent such incidents.

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