The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has started penalizing electric vehicles, namely e-bikes and e-trikes, as well as other light vehicles caught passing through national roads in the capital region.
As of Wednesday noon, at least 87 violators were apprehended and given citation tickets by MMDA traffic enforcers. Of the figure, 50 were tricycles, 18 were e-trikes, 15 were e-bikes, and four were pedicabs.
The agency also impounded 19 of those caught violating the regulation. First-time violators were slapped with a P2,500 fine.
If the driver is not registered and/or does not show a license, the unit is confiscated and impounded.
MMDA chairman Don Artes said the policy is not new because the Department of the Interior and Local Government previously issued a memorandum banning these types of vehicles on the main roads.
The prohibition is being enforced on 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.
Exempted from the ban are tricycles, push carts, pedicabs, kuliglig, e-bikes, e-trikes, and light electric vehicles crossing to get to the other side of the road divided by covered roads; tricycles traveling no more than 500 meters on covered roads going to and/or from a U-turn slot to move to the other side of the road; and light electric vehicles traveling along bike lanes.
The MMDA earlier said the number of road accidents involving electric vehicles is increasing in Metro Manila.
The agency’s 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.