MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang stood firm yesterday on the government’s ban on electric bicycles and e-tricycles on national roads, saying it was meant to ensure the safety of passengers.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said poverty is not an excuse to violate the law and should not clash with the need to instill discipline on the road.
“These kinds of policies do not intend to inflict suffering. This is to ensure the safety of the users of e-bikes. Remember, this is a motorized vehicle and we have a law to follow,” the Palace press officer said.
“Discipline should not be pitted against the issue of poverty. This is not an issue of poverty. The issue here is implementing the law to ensure the safety of everyone,” she added.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) earlier pushed back the start of impounding light electric vehicles (LEV) on national roads to January next year, after announcing the ban last Friday.
This move drew support from Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who said the reprieve offers thousands of users time to prepare for forthcoming regulations.
Ridon thanked President Marcos, Transportation Secretary Giovani Lopez and LTO chief Markus Lacanilao for suspending the enforcement.
“This is a very important step in giving LEV users the chance to prepare for the forthcoming list of rules that will govern the implementation of the government’s policies with regard to the use of e-trikes and e-bikes,” Ridon said.
He added that the pause would help ensure LEV users can adjust to new and existing policies “without fear of sudden enforcement or of being caught unaware.”
“We will coordinate with other transport agencies as well as all the other affected sectors for the purpose of clarifying and simplifying the process of registering and licensing LEVs,” Ridon said.
“For national issues like these, it is vital that we all sit down and hear each other, so that we can form a comprehensive program that will benefit all stakeholders concerned,” he added.
The temporary halt in impounding is expected to provide breathing room for riders, transport groups and regulators as they move toward clearer standards for the country’s rapidly expanding electric mobility landscape. — Delon Porcalla
