A lawmaker from the House Committee on Transportation wants riders of electric scooters to get permits from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to make sure that e-scooter users have basic knowledge and understanding of laws on road safety.
In a statement released by Iligan City representative Frederick Siao, author of House Bill 1987 or the Philippine Responsible Driving and Accountability Act, the lawmaker said that electric scooters can be deadly if the driver is irresponsible or incompetent.
“Electric scooters are motorized and can speed up faster than bicycles. Permits should be a requirement prior to purchase of electric scooters,” Rep. Siao said.
“LTO permits should be required for those who own, use, or buy electric scooters since these scooters can be just as deadly as bicycles if driven irresponsibly,” Siao added.
The Department of Transportation is currently drafting a memorandum circular that will oversee over all kinds of electric vehicles in the country — including electric scooters and two-wheeled e-bikes.
Aside from regulating electric scooters and e-bikes, Siao also proposed the permanent electronic recording of all traffic violations and road safety incidents in every barangay, as well as establishing a national and barangay-based road safety incident recording and monitoring system.
“This system shall be linked to the LTO and LTFRB so these agencies can have a more comprehensive way to determine who should be given the privilege to drive on our country’s roads,” he said.