No license, registration required for e-bike riders

MANILA, Philippines — Electronic bikes and scooters that have a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour will not require registration papers to hit the road, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said yesterday.

Riders who utilize this smaller category of e-bikes are also not required to obtain a driver’s license from the agency, said LTO chief Edgar Galvante.

However, while riders of e-bikes and e-scooters are exempted from licenses and registration, their vehicles shall be limited to barangay roads and bicycle lanes designated by authorities, Galvante said.

These guidelines, he said, are still being reviewed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Galvante said the regulation of e-scooters and e-bikes would be based on the category
 depending on weight and specifications and aimed at protecting the vulnerable sector.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said that he is personally not inclined to regulate e-scooters as the country grapples with the pandemic.

Galvante said the LTO and the DOTr are encouraging the public to use alternative modes of transportation amid the pandemic and even in normal times.

He noted that these alternatives will help save the environment by lessening gas emissions from traditional modes of transportation.