The number of road accidents involving electric vehicles (EVs) has been increasing in the National Capital Region, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
The MMDA Road Safety Unit reported 907 e-bike, e-trike, and e-scooter-related road crashes in Metro Manila last year, nearly three times higher from the 309 accidents recorded in 2019.
“We will not wait for these figures to go higher and the situation to worsen,” said MMDA acting chairman Don Artes.
Artes said the accidents could lead to deaths if EV users were allowed to drive at 60 to 80 kilometers per hour, since their vehicles were open and wearing a helmet is 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 April 15.
On Monday, March 11, Artes and officials from other agencies led a stakeholder consultation meeting on the formulation of implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the said policy.
The MMDA cited laws and issuances relevant to the regulation, adding that the prohibition was not new. The Department of Interior and Local Government, in particular, issued two memorandum circulars in 2020 and 2023 that disallowed the aforementioned vehicles on national highways.
The Land Transportation Office also released an administrative order in 2021 for the Consolidated Guidelines in the Classification, Registration and Operation of All Types of Electric Vehicle. All policies were incorporated in the MMDA regulation.
“We will just enforce this prohibition because of the increasing number of accidents involving e-bikes, e-trikes, and e-scooters,” said Artes.
Artes said the target date for the release of the IRR is one to two weeks prior to the April 15 implementation and will take into consideration the position papers to be submitted by the stakeholders.
“We will incorporate in the IRR all the suggestions to address all the concerns and issues that have arisen and will conduct an information drive and campaign prior to the enforcement of the regulation,” he added.
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.
Artes said the stakeholders understood that the regulation doesn’t mean a total ban on their EVs, but rather a safety measure on their part.
The MMDA mulls the possibility of including the safety of operating e-vehicles in the agency’s Motorcycle Riding Academy curriculum to further push for inclusive road safety.
The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines predicts an 8-12 percent annual growth in the EV market with a projected revenue of P1.68 billion and 200,000 unit sales this year.