With the huge spotlight on electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes) in recent times here in the Philippines, it is clear that such vehicles have caused public disturbances and already local and national authorities are working in response to them. Within the city of Manila, an incident happened recently as an e-trike driver, who caught the attention of the local police with illegal parking, got arrested after cursing the police, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
An electric tricycle or e-trike driver who illegally parked his vehicle was arrested for direct assault after shouting and cursing police in Tondo, Manila on Saturday, Feb. 17.
The Manila Police District (MPD) identified the arrested suspect as Abraham Fernandez, 31, a resident of Barangay 123 in Tondo, Manila.
Before the suspect’s arrest, MPD personnel patrolled when they saw the suspect parked his e-trike in a no-parking zone along Juan Luna Street, Barangay 9, Zone 1 in Tondo, at around 4:20 p.m.
The authorities approached the suspect and told him to remove his vehicle blocking the road, which could cause traffic.
However, instead of cooperating, the suspect resisted, shouted, and cursed at the authorities in front of the public, which resulted in his arrest.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Did you notice e-bike or e-trike drivers drive recklessly within your local community? Are there any minors who drove e-bikes or e-trikes in your local community? Are you hoping that the local government and the nation government agencies will ban e-bikes and e-trikes on major roads and have all the vehicles required for registration?
As the proliferation of electric tricycles (e-trikes) continues, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) announced that a resolution on regulating the use of the said electric vehicles will be released and it will include fines and penalties, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Metro Manila Council is set to release a resolution regulating the use of electric motor vehicles, especially along major thoroughfares.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Director Victor Nuñez of the Traffic Enforcement Group said Friday that the resolution, up for discussion and approval next week, would include fines and penalties imposed on e-motor vehicle users.
Nuñez said the resolution would reconcile the policies of local government units (LGUs) on e-trikes with those of the national government.
“Nag-TWG [Technical Working Group] meeting kami last week at halos lahat in unison gusto magkaroon ng tamang regulasyon dito, kasama ang DOTr [Department of Transportation], LTO [Land Transportation Office], LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board],” he said in a Bagong Pilipinas briefing aired over People’s Television.
Nuñez said there is an existing LTO circular in 2021 outlining the guidelines on the regulation of e-bikes but without corresponding penalties for violations.
“Nakalagay lang kung saan pwede dumaan pero sa hindi pwede dumaan, kapag dumaan sila wala naman concrete penalty na nakalagay (Only the roads they are allowed to pass are included but it does not indicate penalties or fines). ‘Yun po ang problema kasi (There goes the problem). There’s no definitive fine for them,” he said.
“But now with the recent initiatives magkakaroon po ng fines and penalties at mas na-enhance namin ‘yung regulation pertaining to e-trikes, kuliglig and tricycles kasi ‘di lang po e-trikes nakikita natin sa national roads, pati mga tricycles din (We will include the fines and penalties as we enhance the regulation pertaining to e-trikes and even tricycles),” he said.
Several Metro Manila LGUs have existing ordinances on the regulation of e-trikes even before the pandemic, Nuñez said.
“Kinonsider namin ang mga provisions nila dito. Meron kasing LGUs na wala pa at ngayon pa lang gagawa after mailabas ang Metro Manila Council resolution. They will base their ordinances on that (We took into consideration their provisions on this. There are LGUs that have no [resolution] on this yet and said they would pattern theirs after the Metro Manila Council resolution has been released),” Nuñez said.
Several social media posts have raised concerns over the proliferation of e-bikes, with some seen driving along national highways without protective gears.
Such vehicles, including tricycles, are not allowed to ply major roads and national highways as they pose hazard to other motorists.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think the local authorities will come up with a concrete regulation of the use of e-trikes? Are e-trikes in your city making the flow of traffic worse? Have there been minors driving e-trikes in your local community? Did you spot any abusive e-trike drivers on the local roads lately? When was the last time you saw someone drive an e-trike along the national highway?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
With more electric bikes (e-bikes) adding more traffic problems on national roads and highways in recent times, several local government units (LGUs) and agencies of the national government formally met to discuss regulating the use of e-bikes and the other electronic vehicles that remain unregistered, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Several national government agencies and local government units (LGU) on Thursday began discussions on regulating the use of e-bikes and other unregistered electronic vehicles (e-vehicles) nationwide.
The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) between officials of the MMDA, Department of Transportation (DOTr), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and traffic heads of LGUs in the National Capital Region (NCR).
During the meeting, MMDA acting chair Don Artes said the proliferation of e-vehicles has become a “cause concern.”
“The LGUs have laid down their concerns, existing ordinances, regulations, and programs concerning e-vehicles. These will be reconciled with the policies of the national government,” Artes said.
Vendors of e-vehicles, he said, often cite that, unlike regular motor vehicles, e-vehicles are neither required to be registered nor need a license to operate.
“When these e-vehicle users violate the law, how can we issue a traffic violation ticket if the users do not possess a license? We also cannot charge the vehicle owners because they are not registered,” he said.
In addition to being a “grave risk” to their drivers, other motorists, and pedestrians, he said e-vehicles also slow down the flow of traffic.
Many of their drivers have also been monitored to be minors, do not wear helmets or other protective gear, and some use their e-vehicles in the middle of highways.
“We will consolidate and harmonize all existing rules and regulations, as well as ongoing programs of the LGUs and even national government concerning e-vehicles to make it comprehensive. This will also cover not just Metro Manila but nationwide,” he said.
Metro Manila LGUs have been asked to submit a list of their ordinances regarding the regulation of e-vehicles, particularly those used for commercial purposes.
“We will take a second look at the suggestions of the LGUs and propose the appropriate measures to regulate the use of e-vehicles in major thoroughfares,” he said.
In addition, LTFRB chair Teofilo Guadiz III said e-trikes are also a concern of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program (PUVMP) as these compete with legitimate PUVs in getting passengers.
“We are coordinating with the MMDA and LTO to apprehend these units that do not have franchises to operate as PUVs,” Guadiz said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you consider e-bikes and e-trikes a growing problem to traffic at major roads? Do you thinks laws should be made to prevent e-trikes from competing with the legitimate public utility vehicles when it comes to offering public transportation services? Should there be a law to prevent minors from driving e-bikes and e-trikes on all public roads nationwide?
In recent times, a lot of people have spotted electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes) traveling on national roads – including the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) – and posted images of them online. That being said, the local authorities could not ignore the many complaints of these electric vehicles (EVs) and they will respond by issuing a new guideline soon, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news article. Some parts in boldface…
Viral videos of complaints against e-bikes and e-trikes , including an elementary pupil driving one of them on a national road and their presence on major thoroughfares that include the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), have prompted national government agencies to expedite the finalization of the rules and regulations that would govern both their ownership and use.
On the side of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), its chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II, said two of the measures that would be included in the recommendation they would submit to the Department of Transportation is for the registration of the e-bikes and e-trikes before the agency.
E-bikes and e-trikes are not required to be registered similar to motor vehicles and this is actually the major marketing strategy of its sellers, according to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Don Artes.
Aside from registration requirements, Mendoza said they will also include in the recommendation the issue on whether or not the users of e-bikes and e-trikes will be mandated to obtain a driver’s license.
Artes, again, said the non-requirement of a driver’s license to drive them is another selling point of the e-bikes and e-trikes.
According to Mendoza, another argument that will be included in the recommendation is the total ban of e-bikes and e-trikes not only on national roads but also on major thoroughfares and even public roads, particularly the busy ones.
“The guideline (on e-bikes and e-trikes) must be released within this month because a publication of it is still needed before the implementation,” said Mendoza in a press briefing at the MMDA office in Pasig City on Thursday, Feb. 15.
“So we should be able to submit our recommendations to the Secretary (DOTr Secretary Jaime J. Bautista) within this week so that everything will be finally ironed out,” he added.
Exponential growth – Asked if the national government has a data on how many e-bikes and e-trikes in the country, Artes said they do not have the figure simply because there is no source of credible information since e-bikes and e-trikes are not required to be registered.
Artes, however, said that in Metro Manila alone, they have been seeing an exponential growth on the number of e-bikes and e-trikes.
But in Caloocan City where an ordinance was passed for the mandatory accounting of e-bikes and e-trikes, Artes said the figure is at around 18,000.
“So in just one LGU (local government unit) here in Metro Manila, there were already 18,000. So you can just imagine using the fact there are 17 LGUs here in Metro Manila. For sure, there are plenty of them,” said Artes.
“This is really concerning in terms of road safety because they are using roads, especially major roads, and some of the users do not even have the idea of basic road regulations that may cause accidents. So it’s about time that we come up with regulations on this matter,” he added.
E-bikes accident data – Based on the data released last month by the MMDA, a total of 556 road accidents were recorded in Metro Manila involving e-bikes and e-trikes from January to November last year.
There were two reported fatalities recorded in the same period—one was reported in February last year while the other one was reported in August last year.
The same data revealed that e-bikes and e-trikes accidents resulted in 282 non-fatal injuries and 281 cases of damage to property.
Enforcement difficulties – Artes admitted that their enforcers on the roads are having difficulty dealing with e-bikes and e-trikes.For one, they could not issue a citation ticket for traffic violation since the riders have no driver’s license in the first place.
Another one is that they could not also impound the e-bikes and e-trikes due to the absence of a guideline that would legally allow the MMDA to do so.
Consolidation of policies – Artes said there are a number of local government agencies which came up with guidelines on the use of e-bikes and e-trikes, one of them is their use for livelihood by allowing e-trikes to be used as public utility vehicles.
On the part of the national government, Mendoza said they will come up with a guideline that would be nationwide in scope in coordination with local government agencies and other stakeholders.
This is the reason, he said, why they have been continuously meeting even with representatives of groups advocating e-vehicles.
“The guideline that will be issued will be nationwide on scope. So it is important that coordination with LGUs and other stakeholders is important,” said Mendoza.
For road safety – Both Artes and Mendoza said that the guidelines that will be issued by the national government are purely aimed at ensuring the safety of all road users, including the riders of e-bikes and e-trikes.
To see why e-bikes and e-trikes are problematic on major roads and highways here in the Philippines, watch the following videos below…
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you consider e-bikes and e-trikes traffic hazards on major roads and highways? Do you think the national authorities will be able to come up with new rules in response to the many complaints made against e-bikes and e-trikes? Do you want to see all e-bikes and e-trikes banned on major roads and highways nationwide? Should all e-bikes and e-trikes be registered and their respective drivers should be required to have drivers’ licenses?
In response to the recorded numbers of accidents involving tricycles and pedicabs, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) told local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce the ban on such vehicles on national roads and highways, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday reminded anew local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce the ban on pedicabs and tricycles on national roads and highways.
“It is unfortunate that many LGUs have not been strictly implementing such regulations which often result in traffic congestion and accidents,” DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said in a statement.
This came after a tricycle was hit by a passenger bus plying the national highway in Labo, Camarines Norte on Feb. 4.
Abalos said that while tricycles and pedicabs provide accessible and affordable modes of transportation, the safety of drivers, passengers and road users are of utmost importance.
The DILG chief, however, emphasized that in cases where there are no alternative routes available and as a last resort, LGUs through their respective Sanggunian (councils) may issue an exception.
This is in compliance with the Land Transportation Office’s Memorandum Circular 94-199 issued 1994, which sets the guidelines on the devolution of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s franchising power over tricycles-for-hire to LGUs, pursuant to the Local Government Code.
The DILG in 2020 issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 2020-036 prohibiting tricycles, pedicabs and motorized pedicabs from operating on national highways.
It also recently released MC 2023-195 urging all local chief executives to reorganize or reconvene their Tricycle Task Force (TTF) to update their Tricycle Route Plan (TRP) that would include penal provisions for violators.
Based on data from the Metro Manila Accident and Reporting System, Abalos said 2,829 road accidents involving bicycles, e-bikes and pedicabs were logged in 2022 alone, which is aside from 2,241 road accidents involving tricycles.
On Monday, the municipal government of San Mateo in Rizal province started apprehending e-bikes, tricycles and pedicabs plying national roads.
For further insight, posted below are images of DILG’s Memorandum Circular 2023-195.
Below is the PDF copy of the MC 2023-195 available for viewing and download.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent report? Are you concerned that the rise of tricycles, pedicabs and electric bikes (e-bikes) on national roads and highways are the direct result of the local government’s negligence? Do you think your local government made a secret pact or deal with the operators of pedicabs, tricycles and e-bikes which granted them freedom to travel along national roads and highways? Do you think that e-bikes and electric tricycles (e-trikes) were designed to be safe and stable?
Recently the Philippine Star published a news report revealing that electric bike (e-bike) crashes in Metro Manila reached a total of 556 with Quezon City having the most number of such crashes at almost 100.
While the report was published almost a month ago, the details are still relevant as more people are discussing the disadvantages of e-bikes (note: this includes the electric tricycles or e-trikes) which until now remain unregulated under the Land Transportation Office (LTO). Here in South Metro Manila, the e-bike crashes in the cities of Las Piñas, Parañaque and Muntinlupa combined for 90.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine Star news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Thursday said that there were 556 crash incidents of electric bikes (e-bikes) in Metro Manila in 2023.
According to LTFRB’s data sent to reporters, the e-bike crashes in the National Capital Region (NCR) resulted in 281 instances of property damage, 273 non-fatal injuries and two fatal injuries.
Crash incidents peaked in August 2023 with 64 cases, while the (lowest) recorded (total) to 26 cases in November 2023.
Quezon City posted the highest number of incidents among cities in the NCR with 96 e-bike crash cases. Of these, 42 are recorded as property damage with 54 non-fatal injuries.
Following Quezon City in the total number of crash incidents are these areas:
Marikina- 72
Taguig- 71
Manila- 52
Parañaque- 46
Makati- 39
Caloocan- 36
Pasig- 36
Las Piñas- 29
Pasay- 22
Muntinlupa- 15
Mandaluyong- 14
Valenzuela 11
Pateros- 7
San Juan- 7
Malabon- 2
Navotas- 1
In November 2023, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) proposed the mandatory registration of e-bikes, saying that only registered e-bikes should be allowed to use public roads.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent report? Are you convinced that by design, electric bikes and electric tricycles were not really made to be safe for its drivers and passengers when traveling along major roads? Are you convinced that e-bikes and e-trikes are so slow moving, they made the flow of traffic on major roads worse? When do you think the LTO will come up with major reforms needed to have all e-bikes and e-trikes regulated and registered? Have you reached out to your city’s council members to have all electric bikes banned from traveling on major roads? Did you spot any e-trike in your city driven by minors recently?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, electric tricycles (e-trikes) became a topic of concern for one member of the City Council, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The City Councilor clarified that any regulation covering e-trikes will be discussed in a public hearing that will be conducted by the legislative body.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
A member of the Muntinlupa City Council has proposed to regulate passenger e-trikes (electric tricycles) amid the growing number of the vehicles plying the national road.
During the City Council’s regular session on Jan. 29, Councilor Ryan Bagatsing expressed concerns about the safety of e-trikes, which are currently not required to register with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
He is also concerned that some e-trike users are not following traffic rules and overloading.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin, Bagatsing said the use of e-trikes should be regulated in Muntinlupa.
Bagatsing noted that road accidents have happened involving e-trikes. He is also concerned that in some cases, these electric vehicles are driven by minors.
He is proposing that all e-trikes should be registered with the city government to identify the owners, users and drivers.
“It’s the same thing with what we are doing with fishing boats. These have body numbers to identify the users. We really need to come up with some regulations,” he said.
Another issue is e-trikes using the national road in Muntinlupa. Currently, tricycles in Muntinlupa are banned from using the national road, a long stretch of road from Barangay Tunasan to Sucat.
Motorists have complained that e-trikes have become hazards on major roads in the country.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you consider e-trikes as a hazard on the major roads locally? Do you think that e-trike drivers in the city lack discipline and are prone to causing traffic violations knowing that they are not under the LTO since they are not required to be registered with them? Do you think that e-trikes traveling along major roads like the Alabang Zapote Road are so slow, they make traffic congestion worse and slower moving? Do you think it is time to have all e-trikes and electric bikes (e-bikes) banned from traveling along the city’s major roads?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Did you notice electronic/electric bikes (e-bikes) traveling a lot on major roads in cities and causing traffic congestion (due to slow speed and weak acceleration) or even road accidents? Was there an e-bike that sparked a fire in your residential community? Things might change a lot for owners/users of e-bikes as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced that it is considering mandatory registration of all e-bikes, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is considering the mandatory registration of all kinds of electronic bikes or e-bikes, according to Katrina Son’s report on State of the Nation on Monday.
The report said this was due to the high number of accidents involving e-bikes.
From January to November last year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recorded 556 accidents related to e-bikes in the National Capital Region (NCR).
At present, e-bike drivers are not required to have a license.
“Pag tumatakbo ‘yan ng less than 25 kilometers per hour, hindi kailangan i-rehistro sa (if the vehicle is running less than 25 kilometers per hour, you don’t have to register it with the) LTO although we’d like to deviate from that thinking,” said Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza, LTO chief.
“So we’re coming up with a proposal, regardless of the speed of the vehicle… kelangan rehistrado sa (it must be registered to the) LTO,” he added.
E-bikes are popular mode of transportation for both commuters and delivery riders for practical reasons.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think it is high time to implement the mandatory registration of all e-bikes nationwide as well as the requirement for e-bike drivers to have driver’s licenses? Considering the slow speed and weak acceleration of e-bikes, do you think they should be banned from traveling on major roads?
Author Carlo Carrasco 