THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday said it is eyeing stricter regulation on the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in the metropolis.
MMDA Traffic Discipline Office chief Victor Nuñez said there is a need to regulate the use of e-bikes and e-scooters now that the government has eased restrictions on the use of public transport vehicles.
Nuñez said despite the existence of an administrative order governing the use of electronic vehicles from the Land Transportation Office effective May last year, the MMDA was a “bit lenient” in enforcing it since public transportation services were limited at the height of the pandemic.
Nuñez added that many workers, including medical frontliners, used e-bikes and e-scooters to report to work due to the absence of most public transport vehicles.
“The road operation of e-vehicles must be limited to bicycle lanes, private roads and barangay roads, and they must always give right of way to incoming traffic,” he told ABS-CBN News Channel in an interview.
“They’re not allowed to pass in the middle of the major thoroughfares,” he added.
The MMDA official said that users of e-bikes and scooters must not only possess valid driver’s licenses but must also register their vehicles with the LTO if they are able to maintain a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour or above.
The MMDA official said such regulation would also ensure road safety.
Last year, Nuñez said the MMDA registered 346 road incidents involving e-bikes and e-scooters.
From January to May this year, there were 84 road crashes involving e-bikes and e-scooters. This includes 64 incidents involving e-bikes, 16 for e-trikes and two involving e-scooters.
Regulating the use of e-vehicles would also ensure the smooth and safe resumption of face-to-face classes next school year, with Nuñez saying many students might also use e-bikes and e-scooters to go to their schools.
“Since mass public transport is back to its 100 percent capacity and face-to-face classes are about to resume in a couple of weeks, we know that many students might use these e-bikes and e-scooters, so we just want to promote road safety,” Nuñez added.
