AMID A SHARP increase in the number of road accidents involving vehicles run solely by the stored energy in battery packs, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced a crackdown on electric bikes and tricycles plying major thoroughfares across the country.
According to Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao in his capacity as LTO chief, the agency would start impounding e-bikes and tricycles on December 1.
During the Senate hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito cited Lacanilao’s commitment to address the rising number of road mishaps involving e-bikes and tricycles.
“Our new LTO head, Assistant Secretary Lacanilao, has committed that by December 1, all e-trikes on the streets will be apprehended,” said Ejercito, budget sponsor of the DOTr’s budget.
“There you go, e-bikes and e-trikes—starting December 1, refrain from plying your route,” Ejercito added.
For his part, senator Rafael ‘Raffy’ Tulfo cited that unlike the traditional tricycles, e-trike and e-bike operators and drivers are not only unregistered with the LTO but they also do not have a license and insurance—and yet, they are allowed to operate.
Tulfo thus suggested that the LTO and LGUs come up with an agreement to regulate e-bikes and e-trikes, without “killing” the business of traditional tricycles.
“So, maybe it’s about time we consider requiring these e-bike drivers and operators to get a driver’s license. If not, they should be apprehended, or the LGU should be warned,” the former broadcaster pointed out.
It was at this moment that the LTO chief vowed to strictly enforce the ban on e-bikes and e-trikes on major thoroughfares and highways by impounding those caught violating the policy.
While commending the move, Tulfo advised the transportation agency to conduct an information drive first before apprehending violators.
Tulfo’s advice carried weight to some sectors as Bicol Saro partylist Rep. Terry Ridon claimed that the LTO cannot just impound electric bicycles and tricycles because the agency has no jurisdiction over vehicles that are not registered with it.
“The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA Law) clearly provides that LEVs intended for exclusive private use are not required to register with the DoTr and its attached agencies, including the LTO. In other words, the LTO cannot use DoTC–LTO Memorandum Circular 89-105 as the basis for impounding privately used LEVs because these vehicles are not required to be registered with the LTO in the first place. A memorandum circular cannot override a later, specific national law,” he explained.
Accordingly, Ridon, who chairs the House committee on public accounts, disclosed that there is no legal basis to impound LEVs, regardless of whether they are for private use or for hire.
He however suggested that LEVs being used as public transportation modes should be registered with the DoTr and local government units before being allowed to operate.
Moreover, the neophyte solon reminded that there is no legal basis to apprehend and impound LEVs using major national thoroughfares, including national roads identified by the MMDA, because the EVIDA Law itself allows LEVs, whether privately used or for-hire, to use all major local and national roads.