E-bikes, e-trikes ban on NCR national roads now in effect

The ban on tricycles, pushcarts, pedicabs, kuligligs, e-bikes, e-trikes, and light e-vehicles (EVs) on around 20 national roads in Metro Manila took effect on Monday.

Despite the ban, some of these vehicles are still using some covered roads in Manila early Monday morning, according to a report of Jhomer Apresto on GMA Integrated News' Unang Balita.

A tricycle driver for 15 years lamented the ban and said that they are just making a living.

“Kawawa naman kami. Kami ay naghahanap-buhay nang marangal, kami ay hinuhuli nila araw-araw (We are poor. We are just making a living with dignity but they are hunting us everyday),” he said.

As the only breadwinner, an e-trike driver is now planning to look for a different job to provide for the studies of his child.

“Siguro po mamaya, makauwi na rin ako. Iiwas na lang din ako. Hindi ko pa po alam. Maghahanap na lang din ulit (Perhaps later I will go home. I will avoid them. I don’t know yet but I will find other jobs),” he said.

A kuliglig driver will just use alleys to avoid the roads covered by the ban.

“Sa amin po sa gabi baka puwede naman po kaming tumawid lang. Dadaan lang po kami (As for us, maybe we can just cross at night. We will just cross),” the kuliglig driver said.

According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the ban covers the following roads:

• Recto Avenue
• Pres. Quirino Avenue
• Araneta Avenue
• Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue
• Katipunan/C.P. Garcia
• Southeast Metro Manila Expressway
• Roxas Boulevard
• Taft Avenue
• Osmeña Highway or South Super Highway
• Shaw Boulevard
• Ortigas Avenue
• Magsaysay Boulevard/ Aurora Boulevard
• Quezon Avenue/ Commonwealth Avenue
• A. Bonifacio Avenue
• Rizal Avenue
• Del Pan/Marcos Highway/ McArthur Highway
• Elliptical Road
• Mindanao Avenue
• Marcos Highway
• Boni Avenue
• España Boulevard

Exemptions include the crossing of the identified vehicles to get to the other side of the road, which was divided by the covered roads, according to the MMDA.

Tricycles are exempted from the ban if they are traveling no more than 500 meters on the covered roads going to or coming from a U-turn slot to cross the other side of the road.

Also, light electric vehicles traveling on bike lanes on covered roads pursuant to Republic Act No. 11697 or Electric Vehicle Industry Act are exempted.

Violators will be penalized with a P2,500 fine, according to the MMDA. If the erring drivers have no license or their vehicles have no registration, the concerned units will be impounded.

Several commuter and transport groups earlier called on the MMDA to reconsider the ban, which they said was anti-poor. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News