Group seeks unified policy on e-vehicles
An organization that advocates for safer and more inclusive public transportation has urged relevant transport agencies to review and revise their previous issuances and regulations that discourage and hinder the use of light electric vehicles (LEV), including e-tricycles, e-bicycles and e-scooters.
In a statement it issued on Monday, the Move as One Coalition expressed its support for the decision of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to re-evaluate LEV policies “so that the treatment of LEVs can be in line with the overall government policy of encouraging their use.”
“We urge you to resolve the policy conflicts that have created confusion for LEV users. We look forward to working with you for a transportation system that is reliable, accessible, carbon-free, and aligned with our climate goals,” the group said to government officials.
Memorandum
In a memorandum issued on Oct. 2 but made public only on Oct. 15, LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza III ordered the temporary suspension of all LEV registration pending the amendment of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 11697.
The law, otherwise known as the Electric Vehicle Industry Act (Evida law), outlines the regulatory framework for operating EVs in the country.
Mendoza said that the agency was holding off on requiring LEV users to get a driver’s license, which it enforced back in February, while ironing out roadworthiness regulations for these vehicles.
The review followed the order of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the LTO “to withhold issuances which are inconsistent with the Evida, which promotes the use of e-vehicles and sustainable energy.”
The group has “been collectively demanding consistency, accountability and transparency from public officials on the treatment and regulation of LEVs.”
Work together
“The relevant agencies cannot continue to have conflicting stances on light electric vehicles; they must work together, communicate, and coordinate among each other to create unified, clear, and supportive policies,” it said.
The Move as One Coalition noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already created an interagency body for procurement and compliance of EVs, and instructed government agencies to shift 10 percent of their vehicle fleet to EVs.
For instance, in 2024 alone, the DOTr, LTO, Department of Energy, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority issued contradictory policies on LEVs.
In March, MMDA chair Don Artes said the Metro Manila Council approved MMDA Regulation No. 24-002, series of 2024, prohibiting the use of LEVs on national, circumferential and radial roads in Metro Manila, due to the increasing number of road crashes involving e-bikes, e-trikes and e-scooters.
The implementation of the policy was delayed by an order from President Marcos and was only fully implemented by the end of May.
But Move as One noted that automobiles remain the leading cause of road crashes that kill Filipinos on the road.
Based on MMDA’s data from 2019 to 2023, private cars have been involved in over 396,000 road crashes, while LEVs have been involved in only 26,000 crashes during the same period.
But cars still make up the majority of motor vehicles using the roads in the National Capital Region, a fact that the group overlooked in its statement.
