E-bikes, e-trikes banned on main roads starting Dec. 1, 2025 — LTO

Beginning December 1, 2025, e-bikes and e-trikes will no longer be allowed to pass through major thoroughfares, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said Thursday. 

Senator JV Ejercito, the designated budget sponsor for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies, said LTO chief Markus Lacanilao committed to ban the e-bikes and e-trikes on major roads, stressing that those which will be caught would soon be automatically impounded. 

"According to LTO and DOTr, automatic impound na kasi… dilemma po talaga eh. Minsan hindi talaga sila lisensyado, minsan nanay pa ang nagda-drive may mga kasamang mga anak na delikado, very light. So 'yun po ang sabi ng LTO, from now on talagang dapat ho 'pag nasa main thoroughfare, especially talagang automatic i-impound na po nila," Ejercito said during the Senate plenary debates. 

(According to the LTO and DOTr, they will automatically impound because... it's really a dilemma. Sometimes the drivers are not really licensed, sometimes it's the mothers who are driving carrying their children. It's dangerous. So the LTO said that they will impound them automatically, especially when on the main thoroughfares.)

The senator, however, said the apprehension will not take effect immediately as the LTO still needs to implement an information drive. 

"According to our secretary, by December 1, mag-i-info drive muna sila, mag-iikot, just to inform, sasabihan po muna lahat na nakikita. So bibigyan muna nila ng tsansa malaman po lahat, information campaign, bago po sila manghuli. May warning po muna sila," Ejercito said. 

(According to our secretary, by December 1, they will first do an information drive, go around, and inform everyone about it. So they will first give everyone a chance to know, through an information campaign, before they apprehend. They will give a warning first.) 

This came after Senator Raffy Tulfo said in his interpellation that he has received complaints that the e-bikes have seemingly become the new "king of the road," replacing jeepneys. 

Tulfo emphasized that he has nothing against e-bikes because they are a legitimate source of income for some Filipinos, but some of them have caused accidents. 

Citing answers from acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Ejercito said the LTO will coordinate with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the local government units to address the problem. 

The budget sponsor also said the DOTr will conduct public consultations regarding the safety, the registrability, and the issuance of license for drivers of the e-bikes.

"Main thoroughfares, bawal na po talaga sila. Siguro bibigyan natin ng leeway sa barangay o kaya sa mga subdivisions. Pero sa main thoroughfare ay talagang hindi na po sila papayagan," Ejercito said. 

(They really won't be allowed on main thoroughfares. Maybe we will give leeway when they are inside a barangay or subdivisions. But they really will not really be allowed anymore on major thoroughfares.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News