By Brian Jules Campued
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will ban e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcarts, and “kuliglig” from plying major roads in the National Capital Region (NCR) starting April 15.
MMDA acting chair Romando Artes clarified in a press briefing on Monday that the regulation was not new, adding that the MMDA will just enforce the prohibitions due to the increasing number of accidents involving said electric motor vehicles and disregard for traffic rules and regulations.
Data from the MMDA Road Safety Unit revealed that there were 907 e-bike, e-trike, and e-scooter related road crash statistics in NCR last year, nearly triple from the 309 accidents recorded in 2019.
“We will not wait for these figures to go higher and the situation to worsen,” Artes said.
However, he stressed that the regulation does not mean total ban of electric light vehicles but rather a safety measure since a bigger chance of fatality may arise from accidents involving e-bikes.
He added that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) would be released before April 15 as they will take into consideration the suggestions and position papers from stakeholders.
“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,” he continued.
Under the MMDA Regulation No. 24-022, the abovementioned electric light vehicles will be prohibited from traversing the following national roads, circumferential, and radial roads in Metro Manila:
- C1: Recto Avenue
- C2: Pres. Quirino Avenue
- C3: Araneta Avenue
- C4: EDSA
- C5: Katipunan/CP Garcia
- C6: Southeast Metro Manila Expressway
- R1: Roxas Boulevard
- R2: Taft Avenue
- R3: SLEX
- R4: Shaw Boulevard
- R5: Ortigas Avenue
- R6: Magsaysay Blvd./Aurora Blvd.
- R7: Quezon Ave./Commonwealth Ave.
- R8: A. Bonifacio Ave.
- R9: Rizal Ave.
- R10: Del Pan/Marcos Highway/MacArthur Highway
- Elliptical Road
- Mindanao Avenue
- Marcos Highway
The MMDA chair also said that violators will be fined at least P2,500 while their vehicles will be impounded if the users cannot present a driver’s license upon apprehension. – avds
