Electric kick scooters on EDSA: What riders should know

With some turning to electric kick scooters to cope with the incessant oil price spikes, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has issued reminders to ensure a safe ride when plying the capital region’s roads and major thoroughfares.

MMDA Task Force Special Operations chief Bong Nebrija said motorists using the personal mobility vehicle should follow the guidelines set by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) which includes wearing appropriate protective gear, adhering to the maximum speed limit, and using designated road lanes.

“Limit your ride within the bike lanes or the outermost of any roads. Wag po tayong gigitna dahil yung speed natin is limited compared to the motorized,” said Nebrija in Emil Sumangil’s report on “24 Oras."

(Limit your ride within the bike lanes or the outermost of any roads. Let's not go to the center of the road because our speed is limited compared to the motorized.)

“Ang maximum speed niya na ina-allow ng LTO is 12.5 kilometers per hour. Sa helmet, similar to what motorcycles are using. No registration is required. No license is required. They’re only limited to barangay roads but if they will be going to national roads or main thoroughfares like EDSA, they will only be limited to bike lanes. Kung walang bike lanes, kailangan nasa pinakaside sila,” he added.

(Their allowed maximum speed is 12.5 kilometers per hour. For the helmet, it should be similar to what motorcycles are using. No registration is required. No license is required. They’re only limited to barangay roads but if they will be going to national roads or main thoroughfares like EDSA, they will only be limited to bike lanes. If there are no bike lanes, they should be at the outermost lane.)

There are at least 23,000 users of electric kick scooters in the country, 85 percent or around 19,000 are in the capital region.

Meanwhile, the MMDA said it has been monitoring 16 to 20 incidents per day related to the electric vehicle.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA News