- CTTMO plans to regulate e-trike on roads
THE CITY Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) will study whether or not to allow or totally ban electric tricycles (e-trikes) on roads.
Eduardo Perez, CTTMO acting officer-in-charge, lamented the absence of a regulating body for operating e-trikes in the city.
Unlike e-bikes that fall under the Bicycle Ordinance of the city and can traverse in designated bicycle lanes, there are no existing laws that cover e-trikes.
“Under the Traffic Code of the city, only pedal-operated tricycles (Sikad) are recognized,” Perez said during the iSpeak media forum, on Feb. 22.
“The problem of allowing them [e-trikes], there is no such body that will certify their safety for passenger use,” he added.
Besides the open design, Perez said the speed of e-trikes makes them prone to accidents.
“We are instructed to study kay kung ibawal gyud sya sa government, CTTMO will recommend nga bawalon siya para naa mi buhaton,” he said stressing so as to prevent unending cycle of releasing the units back to the operators after impounding due to lack of regulations.
However, Chona Advincula, CTTMO Motorized Vehicle Franchising and Regulatory Division (MVFRD) head, said they will apprehend e-trikes plying on national roads and highways. She said they are tolerating these vehicles on barangay roads but only if they are for personal use and not for picking up passengers.
Advincula said they will push to regulate these units, especially after observing a number of them were driven by minors. In February 2024, the CTTMO has apprehended 30 e-trikes, the same number in 2022. Last year, the office ticketed 189 e-trikes.
