MMDA to issue tickets on e-bikes, e-trikes violating national road ban on Wednesday, April 17

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will start issuing tickets against e-bikes, e-tricycles, e-scooters, pushcarts, tricycles, pedicabs, and “kuliglig” that would violate the ban and ply national roads on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

In Oscar Oida’s 24 Oras report on Monday, MMDA Acting Chairperson Romando Artes urged for understanding of the impact of the policy on public safety.

“Makikita naman po natin like sa Road 10, ang lalaki po ng mga trucks diyan, hindi po sila makikita lahat po ng side ay blind side,” said Artes.

(We can see that there are a lot of trucks using Road 10 so e-bikes may be in danger since all sides are blind side.)

“‘Yun pong safety sa paggamit ng ganitong sasakyan at yung kanila po speed, hindi angkop, so nagke-create din po ng traffic,” he said.

(The safety features and speed of these vehicles are inappropriate for major roads. They also cause traffic.)

The MMDA started apprehending tricycles, pushcarts, pedicabs, kuligligs, e-bikes, e-trikes, and light e-vehicles (EVs) on 20 national roads in Metro Manila as the ban prohibiting them along major thoroughfares takes effect.

According to the MMDA, the ban covers the following roads:

• Recto Avenue
• Pres. Quirino Avenue
• Araneta Avenue
• Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue
• Katipunan/C.P. Garcia Avenues
• 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/ MacArthur Highway
• Elliptical Road
• Mindanao Avenue
• Marcos Highway
• Boni Avenue
• España Boulevard

Exemptions include crossing points where the identified vehicles could 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.

The MMDA said violators will be penalized with a P2,500 fine. 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.—Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News