A petition calling for electronic scooters (such as these) to be permitted in Makati City’s Central Business District is gaining traction. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — An online petition calling on authorities to allow the use of electronic kick scooters inside Makati City’s Central Business District (CBD) has gained traction on social media, with over 1,400 signatures as of Wednesday night.
According to the petition, which was started by a certain Dominick Galauran, authorities should allow electronic scooters inside the commercial area, particularly in the Ayala CBD, as users have tried to adjust to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, like distancing and health protocols.
“The pandemic changed the world. CoVID-19 brought so much drastric changes in the society and the only way to move forward is to adapt. Returning to work and traversing around, some responsible users opted to use these electric motor powered Personal Mobility Devices and Electric Kick Scooters for a safer means of transportation,” Galauran said in the petition
“Using these devices, we are avoiding the use of crowded transport modes like jeepneys, buses, and trains. Not all can afford to pay for taxis and Grab rides,” he added.
NO ENTRY: A picture was taken by the scooter user, who was asked by private security personnel to leave the area.
Galauran said in his petition that the authorities denied electronic scooter users access to the CBD — leaving some workers in the area no option but to take transport network services or risk their lives in crowded jeepneys or buses.
“They’re asking them AGAIN to ride jeeps, buses and trains that are crowded without also thinking that some of these people can’t afford to book a Grab since it is really expensive,” he claimed
“You are also asking them again to allocate budget for transpo wherein before you block these roads; [this] money goes to savings or other important stuff,” he added.
The petition accompanies a photo taken by a scooter user, who was asked by private security personnel to stop entering the area. Galauran complained that the area was already enforcing the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Administrative Order No. 2021-039 without a unified implementing rules and regulations (IRR) document first.
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way Filipinos commute, now being required to maintain a safe distance from another, limiting the number of passengers per trip — whether on a bus, a train, or a jeepney.
This meant that some workers had to rely on their private vehicles more often, leading Metro Manila authorities to suspend number coding schemes. Also, the use of motorcycles, bikes, and electronic scooters became a preferred way of transportation as commuters are then assured of their own personal space, compared to mass transportation vehicles.
As of now, the Philippines still has a high active COVID-19 case count, hitting 54,442 on Wednesday.
Another 6,149 recovered patients pushed the recovery count to 1,484,714; all in all, confirmed cases are at 1,566,667.
Due to the high risks posed by the COVID-19 Delta variant, business leaders on Wednesday proposed to impose a two-week hard lockdown in the metropolis by August. They believe the “ghost month” is the best time to do it.