FIRST SAY:
“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
First, there was the proliferation of motorcycles in our city streets and in the provinces. This occurred just before the COVID-19 pandemic when interest rates were almost zero and there was a surfeit of cheap loans for motorcycle buyers. This coincided with the reality that mobility in Metro Manila has become really difficult and for some employees and wage-earners, the motorcycles provide a quick fix.
The lay of the land in cities already saddled with congestion and other traffic problems was transformed into an even messier mess with motorcycle riders, delivery men and transport network drivers using the roads with nary a care about traffic rules and the rights and safety of other motorists. In the difficult contest for road space, being small in size is an advantage, and riders using these two-wheel vehicles have found out how to use this advantage to the hilt. Traffic enforcers and policemen do not care much about these violations, maybe because they, too, are mostly motorcycle riders.
Completing the whole messy traffic picture is the coming of hundreds of e-trikes to join the regular tricycles, e-bikes, kuligligs and similar transport contraptions. Alarmed by reports of deaths and injuries in national highways involving trucks and tricycles, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos issued a memorandum to LGUs to ban or regulated the operation of tricycles and e-trikes in national roads.
This was followed by the announcement by the Metro Manila Council that has a resolution regulating the use of electric motor vehicles, especially along major thoroughfares.
Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Director Victor Nuñez of the Traffic Enforcement Group said that the resolution, up for discussion and approval next week, would include fines and penalties imposed on e-motor vehicle users.
He added that the resolution would reconcile the policies of local government units (LGUs) on e-trikes with those of the national government.
Both the MMDA and the MMC said that starting this April, e-bikes and e-trikes will not be allowed on the following roads:
Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa)
C.M. Recto Avenue, Manila
President Quirino Avenue, Manila
Araneta Avenue, QC
Katipunan/C.P. Garcia, QC
Southeast Metro Manila Expressway
Roxas Boulevard, Manila / Pasay / Paranaque
Taft Avenue, Manila / Pasay
Osmeña Highway (South Superhighway)
Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong / Pasig
Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong / Pasig
Magsaysay Boulevard/Aurora Boulevard, QC / Manila
Quezon Avenue/Commonwealth Avenue, QC
A.Bonifacio Avenue, Manila, QC
Rizal Avenue, Manila
Del Pan/Marcos Highway/McArthur Highway
Elliptical Road, QC
Mindanao Avenue, QC
Marcos Highway
Violators will be apprehended and fined P2,500 as their units will also be impounded if they fail to present a valid driver’s license.
As this developed, the members of the Technical Working Group composed of the MMDA, Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board are all agreed that strict regulations should be imposed on electric vehicles especially e-trikes which are sold without LTO registration and operated by riders without driver’s licenses and helmets. It would seem that these road users are exempted from rigid rules imposed on the rest of us.
Recognizing the severity of problems unregistered e-trikes create for other road users, the Land Transportation Office is proposing the registration of electric bicycles and tricycles as well as the issuance of licenses to their drivers. LTO head Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II presented the proposal during a consultation meeting with representatives from various transport organizations and government agencies.
“Our proposal is very simple as far as LTO is concerned: All light electric vehicles used in public highways, which means […] any roads funded and maintained by the government whether it’s local government or national government, that vehicle must be registered with LTO. The driver of the vehicle must be licensed, which means to say at least 17 years old [with a] valid license that passes through all the process,” Mendoza said.
All these traffic rules and regulations, if implemented well, will redound to safer roads and better traffic management. I just hope that the President will lift the stay on their implementation soon.
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