LTO pushes win-win solution for e-bike owners and dealers

• Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/411485417019/lto-pushes-win-win-solution-for-e-bike-owners-and-dealers
• Friday, January 27, 2017

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (JPD/VHS/PIA-Pangasinan)

DAGUPAN CITY, January 27 (PIA) - Light electric vehicles (LEV) plying public roads are a no-no but drivers of these vehicles cannot be apprehended just yet, as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) pushes for a win-win solution for LEV owners, dealers, and the government as well.

Daniel Martinez, chief of LTO based in Urdaneta City, said the recent national meeting of LTO chiefs all over the country tackled the review of issuances that do not conform to the present system to be able to give the right service to the public.

One of these issues is the use of LEVs like electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trike) whereby, Martinez said, a guideline has been disseminated in 2006 but these were not followed by manufacturers and dealers.

“Under the law, all vehicles that are propelled by power other than muscular power, must be registered with the LTO. To register these vehicles, these must bear the engine number, chassis number, and body number,” Martinez said during the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas Forum on Thursday.

Unfortunately, Martinez lamented that one of the three required numbers is not present in an electric vehicle and therefore cannot be considered a motor vehicle which consequently cannot be registered with LTO.

“As it is not yet considered a motor vehicle, wala rin itong karapatan na dumaan sa government o public roads, parang ‘yung kuliglig,” the LTO chief explained.

In the event of an accident, drivers of these vehicles therefore, could not win in any case as LEVs are prohibited in public roads but cannot be apprehended by law enforcers yet.

Martinez said the LTO is looking into all possibilities, so that owners of LEVs would be protected and all dealers and manufacturers could still go on with their businesses without putting the buyers at risk.

LTO is also looking into how the transport office could conform to the program of the Department of Energy (DOE) in promoting the use of electric vehicles to save on energy and fuel.

If and when LTO, DOE, and the Department of Trade and Industry come up with a win-win solution for the registration of electric vehicles, then owners must be ready with their driver’s license, Martinez said.