E-bikes, e-trikes and pushcarts (kariton) will be banned to traverse national roads, circumferential roads, and radial roads in Metro Manila starting April 15 of this year, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said the agency will strictly enforce MMDA Regulation No. 24-022, noting that they already held a stakeholder’s consultation meeting on the formulation of the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) for the said prohibition.

The target date for the release of the IRR is one to two weeks prior to the April 15 implementation, he added, clarifying that, “We will incorporate in the IRR all the suggestions to address all the concerns and issues that have arisen and will conduct an information drive and campaign prior to the enforcement of the regulation.”

Tricycles, pedicabs and kuligligs are also covered by the directive, he said.

The MMDA chief emphasized, “We will just enforce this prohibition because of the increasing number of accidents involving e-bikes, e-trikes, and e-scooters. We will not wait for these figures to go higher and the situation to worsen.”

He revealed that data from the MMDA Road Safety Unit has registered 907 total number of e-bike, e-trike, and e-scooter -related road crash statistics in Metro Manila last year, nearly tripling from the 309 accidents listed last 2019.

He said that there’s a big chance of fatality if the e-bike, e-trike, and e-scooter users will traverse roads with vehicles driving at 60 to 80 kilometers per hour, since their vehicles are open and wearing a helmet is not required.

Artes insisted that the prohibition is not new, as he cited laws and issuances relevant to the regulation.

He explained that the Department of the Interior and Local Government has issued two memorandum circulars, particularly the DILG Memorandum Circular Nos. 2020-036 and 2023-195 or Prohibition on Tricycles, Pedicabs, and Motorized Pedicabs on National Highways.

Also, there is the Land Transportation Office Administrative Order No. 2021-039 or the Consolidated Guidelines in the Classification, Registration and Operation of All Types of Electric Vehicle, he said.

All of these DILG and LTO directives were incorporated in the MMDA regulation, he underscored.

📷: MMDA FB