It looks like there’s no turning back now: The government is keen on banning e-bikes and e-trikes from major roads in the metro, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has just confirmed that implementation of the new policy will begin on April 15.
MMDA acting chairman Romando Artes confirmed that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) have yet to be finalized, but the MMDA and other governing authorities will release them prior to April 15.
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Artes also said that the IRR will clarify which types of vehicles will actually be allowed on bike lanes on major thoroughfares such as EDSA. He also mentioned an existing issuance from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) from 2022 that will be taken into consideration when finalizing the IRR. While he did not specify which one, we believe he was pertaining to this one.
As for the requirements for licenses and registration, Artes said that the Metro Manila Council’s resolution does not cover that. It is supposedly under the LTO’s jurisdiction, so keep an eye out on developments from the transport agency for more details. What the MMDA confirmed is that for now, if an electric vehicle without the need for a license or registration gets into an accident, authorities will resort to impounding the electrified, unregistered vehicle involved.
A lot of details are still unclear at this point, so let’s all just wait for more information from all agencies concerned in the coming weeks. Watch this space for more updates.
