LTO in favor of e-bike registration

In the Philippines, e-bike sales have been booming, driven largely by their significantly lower operating costs compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles and small vehicles. These “e-bikes,” a catch-all term Filipinos use for compact electric vehicles ranging from two- to four-wheelers, have also gained traction thanks to the government’s relatively relaxed regulations on ownership and operation. Many models can be easily ridden by almost anyone, almost anywhere, making them an increasingly common sight on local roads.

Unfortunately, this relaxed approach to regulation has also given rise to a number of road safety issues. E-bikes are now commonly seen being operated by minors and other individuals who are unaware of even the basic traffic rules, counterflowing on busy streets, obstructing traffic, or just casually driving in the middle of a national highway.

Even more concerning, many of these e-bikes are being used as public utility vehicles (PUVs) in several parts of Metro Manila, often without proper registration, licenses, or permits.

The motoring public has had enough, with many taking to social media to call for stricter regulations on e-bikes. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has echoed these sentiments, expressing support for the registration of e-bikes and for treating them as motorized vehicles under existing traffic laws.

“For me, it should be registered. Ang kailangan lang natin alamin, kasi ang importante lang naman kay LTO [ay] meron unique identification—yung body, ang isang electric vehicle. May chassis, may unique motor [number]. Pwedeng lagyan ng plate number,” said LTO Executive Director, Atty. Greg Pua, Jr. via an interview by ABS-CBN.

(For me, it should be registered. What we just need to determine—because what’s important for the LTO—is that the electric vehicle has a unique identification. It should have a chassis and a unique motor number, so that it can be assigned a plate number.)

While the LTO has expressed its intent to register e-bikes in the same manner as other motor vehicles under Republic Act 4136, the agency has yet to receive a formal directive from its parent agency, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), to implement regulations governing these small electric vehicles.