OP-ED: The Philippines Is Getting Micromobility Backwards — And The LTO’s Crackdown Proves It - CleanTechnica

The article discusses the Philippine Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) recent crackdown on light electric vehicles (LEVs), including e-bikes and e-trikes, threatening impoundment if found on major roads starting January 2. This enforcement is based on a 35-year-old memorandum (Circular 89-105) that predates the commercial availability of electric vehicles. However, the 2022 Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) explicitly exempts privately owned LEVs from registration, creating a legal conflict. Critics, including lawmakers and legal experts, argue that the LTO’s actions represent regulatory overreach by attempting to enforce outdated rules that contradict current national law. The article highlights that the LTO justifies the crackdown on safety grounds, aiming to remove LEVs from major roads similarly to past restrictions on tricycles. Yet, EVIDA allows LEVs to operate on national and local roads if they use designated or bicycle lanes, though infrastructure to support this is currently insufficient,