Owners of electric bikes, trikes, and other e-vehicles may soon need to register their units and obtain driver’s licenses, according to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
The LTO held a public consultation on Electric Vehicles (EV) on Thursday, where it presented its proposed regulations for EVs to key stakeholders. These included representatives from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Quezon City LGU, and various transport groups.
The agency wants to regulate the use of e-vehicles on public roads to ensure safety and order. LTO Chief Vigor D. Mendoza cited Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, which requires all vehicles that use public roads maintained and funded by the government, whether local or national, to be registered.
E-vehicles are considered motor vehicles under the law and are subject to the same rules and regulations as conventional vehicles. This means that owners of e-vehicles must also obtain driver’s licenses, follow traffic signs and signals, and comply with emission standards.
On Wednesday, the MMDA banned e-bikes, e-trikes, and other e-vehicles from using national roads, circumferential, and radial roads in the metropolis. The regulation covers 20 roads under the jurisdiction of the agency.
MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said the reason for the regulation was the proliferation of EVs and the safety concerns of both its users and other motorists.
In 2023, MMDA recorded 554 road crash incidents involving EVs.
Source
Via
Image credit: PNA photo by Yancy Lim
