Manila Representative Joel Chua (3rd district) backed the proposal of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to extend the deadline banning light vehicles (electric trikes, e-bikes) from major roads.
Chua said the grace period is needed to adequately inform drivers of such vehicles about the new policy of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), so that the full implementation on June 9 would be sufficient time for the drivers of such light units to comply.
In a statement, Chua said he agreed with the President that the two-day no ticketing period was too short for the motorists of light vehicles to the new MMDA policy banning them and their units from major Metro Manila roads– to ease the traffic and to reduce traffic accidents, owing to such units.
“The grace period extension of up to 21 days should be enough time for the LGUs and MMDA to show the drivers of light vehicles to comply,” Chua added.
That grace period should also be enough time for the MMDA and LGUs to put in place the beginnings of a Light Vehicle Registration System and for the drivers to apply for driver’s licenses.
“I respectfully suggest to the Metro Manila Mayors that they quickly expand the mandates of their tricycle regulation offices to include the registration of the other light vehicles and their respective drivers,” he said.
In the long-absence of a registration policy for e-trikes and e-bikes, units plying on Metro roads are all unlicensed and unregistered.
Fines, apprehensions
The MMDA said during a media briefing Friday, April 19 (following the order of President Marcos to delay the ban on e-trikes and e-bikes on major roads the previous day) that it would remain strict about its ban on e-trikes and e-bikes on major roads.
MMDA chief Romando Artes said his agency would grant the President’s short reprieve for light vehicles, which he termed as “partial suspension” because only the penalty and impounding would be suspended.
Enforcers from the MMDA and local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila would still accost light vehicle users violating the restriction, he added.
He admitted that the agency failed to inform them of alternate routes and which roads are prohibited. He explained that only penalties and impounding of light vehicles would be suspended but apprehensions would continue within the one-month grace period to ensure they comply the next time.
On Marcos’ point that the fine was huge, he said, this was a deliberate punitive measure to make them toe the line. But he insists that no other changes would be made on the policy. He reported that drivers of 290 light vehicles, mostly e-trikes and tricycles, were fined with 69 other light vehicles impounded two days prior to the President’s order.
MMDA will study whether to make retroactive the application of the President’s new deadline order for which the agency might return the fines collected and release the impounded units.
Still, it is up to the local governments of MM which enforced their own ordinance on the ban regarding the fines and impounded vehicles.
He called on the drivers to register their light vehicles with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as soon as possible and secure a driver’s license during the grace period.
He said they received the President’s directive Thursday morning to partially suspend the implementation of the MMDA Regulation 24-002 Series of 2024.
“Our President is a compassionate leader, and he is sensitive to the sentiments of the public, as some of the violators claimed that they were not aware of the regulation, do not know the alternative routes, and have not yet adjusted their routine in the use of their electric bikes,” the MMDA head added.
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