A motorist (R) speeds past a woman riding an electric bike along a street in Manila on November 24, 2023. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe has called for a grave period too for electronic bike users who were apprehended three days before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a grace period on the policy banning such vehicles from major roads in Metro Manila.
Poe in a statement on Friday said that it is only right to grant a grace period too for those who were required to pay fines and had their e-bikes impounded.
The rule banning e-trikes from major Metro Manila roads like Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa), Commonwealth Avenue, and C-5 Road were implemented on April 15, while Marcos asked the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on April 18 to give a grace period.
“Tulad nang palugit na ibinigay ng Pangulo, marapat lamang na mabigyan din ng grace period ang mga naunang nahuli mula sa multa at impounding. Dapat lang na mabigyan ang mga motorista ng sapat na panahon para makasunod sa bagong regulasyon, lalo na’t may kalituhan kung ano lang ang pinagbabawal at kung saan pwede dumaan ang mga light electric vehicles na hindi sakop ng ban,” Poe said.
(Like the grace period given by the President, it is only correct that a grace period be given to the individuals who were initially apprehended, asked to pay fines, and whose vehicles were impounded. Motorists should really be given enough time to follow the new regulation, especially since there is confusion as to what is banned and where light electric vehicles not included in the ban can pass through.)
“Huwag na sana nating pahirapan ang mga may-ari ng e-bikes at e-trikes na naghahanap lang ng maayos na alternatibong masasakyan. Kinikilala natin ang importansiya ng information dissemination lalo na sa mga bagong haing polisiya na marahil ay nagdudulot ng kalituhan sa marami,” she added.
(Let us not burden the owners of e-bikes at e-trikes who are just looking for an alternative mode of transportation. Let us acknowledge the importance of information dissemination especially in new policies which may have caused confusion to many.)
According to Poe, it is incumbent upon the MMDA and the local government units to inform motorists of Marcos’ directive.
“We urge the MMDA, LGUs, and other traffic authorities to use this time to inform the public about this new directive,” she noted.
While Marcos maintained that there is a need to ban e-bikes — including their three-wheeled and four-wheeled variants — from major roads, he admitted that there was a limited time to inform the public about the new rule.
Thus, Marcos said that e-bike and e-trike drivers should not be ticketed or fined, and should be merely redirected towards the correct roads, and reminded of the MMDA’s new policies.
Poe highlighted that e-bikes and e-bikes existed as an alternative form of transportation because public transportation is inadequate and inefficient — as the responsibility of maintaining and innovating it falls on the government.
According to the senator, if the government would limit where these e-bikes and e-trikes can go, easy access of transportation modes should be made priority.
“The popularity of e-trikes and e-bikes reflect the inadequacy and inefficiency of public transportation in the country. More than any environmental benefits, these types of electric vehicles are in demand due to their accessibility and affordability, especially with the soaring prices of fuel,” Poe said.
“If MMDA is to curb its use, it should also make mobility in the metro a priority. We expect MMDA and other agencies involved to use this time to sit down with stakeholders and to create balanced policies that take into consideration the plight of our commuters without compromising the safety of our streets,” she said.