Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Edgar Galvante stands firm on his recommendation to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) that all electric scooters, kick scooters, and bicycles capable of doing more than 25kph must be registered with the agency. This is despite DOTr secretary Arthur Tugade’s statement that he is not in favor of requiring owners of these alternative forms of transport to register their units, considering the country is in the midst of a pandemic.
The LTO chief has also stated that his recommendation to the DOTr included requiring those who use e-kick scooters and e-bicycles that can go faster than 25kph to obtain a driver’s license.
Although riders of low-speed e-bikes and e-kick scooters are not required to register their units or obtain a driver’s license, Galvante wants them confined within bicycle lanes and secondary or barangay roads designated by local government units (LGU). He says these safety parameters for so-called ‘personal mobility devices’ or PMDs are aimed at protecting users every time they venture onto major roads alongside bigger and faster vehicles.
Galvante has expressed belief that the DOTr will soon release the official guidelines on the use of electric bikes, scooters, and kick scooters soon.
