DOTr to require driver’s license for users of electric, gas scooter — LTO exec

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will soon require users of electric or gas-powered scooters to secure driver’s license as the department releases guidelines for the use of the said vehicle.

“Ito ay nagbibigay ng guide para doon sa authorized o gagamit nito (scooters). Makita nila para saan pwede gamitin at ano kailangan para maautorize sila sa gagamit nito,”  Land Transportation Office (LTO) Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said in an interview with ABS-CBN Teleradyo on Tuesday, responding to a query about crafting guidelines for scooters.

(It will give a guide for those authorized or who will use it.  They will see what these are for and what needs to be done for them to be authorized.)

“Lahat ng sasakyan, either electric or gasoline-powered (na scooter) at gagamit ng pampublikong lansangan, kailangan rehistrado at saka ‘yung gumagamit may driver’s license,” he added.

(All kinds of vehicles, either electric or gasoline powered, and are using public highways must be registered and the driver must have a license.)

Galvante said they already crafted the guidelines for using scooters which will only need the approval of DOTr.

“Mayroong draft ng administrative order na magcoconsolidate ng guidelines. Ito ay inaantay lang na maaprubahan ni Sec (Arthur) Tugade ng DOTR. Nakasubmit na ito, again inaantay lang ang paglabas,” Galvante said.

(We already have a draft of the administrative order that consolidates the guidelines. We are just waiting for Sec Tugade to approve this. We already submitted it and again, we are just waiting for DOTr to release it.)

In a study from iPrice Group, an e-commerce organization, Filipinos were three times more likely to search for online bikes to buy in June compared from April.

The study also showed that Filipinos’ search for electric scooters at Google increased by up to 189 percent.

JE