A septuagenarian died after being hit by an electric bicycle (e-bike) while crossing the street in Barangay Malanday, Marikina City.
The victim was identified as Luzviminda Bisarez while the 31-year-old e-bike driver was arrested by the police after the incident.
The victim was conscious when taken to the hospital but eventually
died after fighting for her life for several hours.
The victim’s relatives claimed that the driver did not immediately take the victim to the hospital. Because of the CCTV footage, the neighbors immediately recognized and arrested the driver.
Beginning April 15, e-trikes and e-bikes will banned on major
thoroughfares to prevent road accidents involving such vehicles.
According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the number of road accidents involving electric vehicles is increasing in the National Capital Region.
The MMDA Road Safety Unit reported more than 900 e-bike, e-trike, and e-scooter-related road crashes in Metro Manila last year, a nearly triple increase from the 309 accidents in 2019.
“We will not wait for these figures to go higher and the situation to
worsen,” said MMDA chairman Don Artes.
The MMDA warns that e-bike, e-trike, and e-scooter users face a
significant risk of fatalities when driving on roads with vehicles
speeding at 60-80 km/h, as helmets are not required.
This prompted the government to fully enforce a policy prohibiting
e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, scooters, pedicabs, pushcarts, and
‘kuligligs’ from traversing national roads, circumferential roads, and
radial roads in Metro Manila beginning on April 15.
The prohibition will be enforced on the following roads in Metro
Manila: Claro M. Recto Avenue; President Quirino Avenue; Araneta
Avenue; Epifanio de los Santos Avenue; Katipunan / Carlos P. Garcia; Southeast Metro Manila Expressway; Roxas Boulevard; Taft Avenue; South Superhighway; Shaw Boulevard; Ortigas Avenue; Magsaysay Boulevard / Aurora Boulevard; Quezon Avenue / Commonwealth Avenue; Andres Bonifacio Avenue; Rizal Avenue; Road 10: Del Pan; McArthur Highway; Elliptical Road; Mindanao Avenue, and Marcos Highway.