E-bikes lined at the corner of 6.5 relocation site in Barangay Paknaan waiting for passengers. | CDN Digital Photo by Mary Rose Sagarino (FILE PHOTO)
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede is set to meet with the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) to talk about electric bikes in the city.
Bercede said that there might be need to review the policy of TEAM implementing city wide ban on e-bikes.
“Ireview una nato. Makigmeeting ko sa Team,” said Bercede.
(We should first review it. I will meet with TEAM.)
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Bercede said that they would also consider the possible proliferation of e-bikes that might contribute to traffic.
Earlier, the E-bike association in Barangay Paknaan expressed concern for their livelihood over the total ban of their vehicles on all roads of the city.
They asked the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) to consider and permit them even just at the inner portion of the barangay to serve the people there, and for them to earn a living at the same time.
On Tuesday, November 26, the City Traffic Board held a meeting to discuss various traffic-related issues, including the ban on e-bikes, which was approved by them.
Acting TEAM Department Head Hyll Retuya said that the ban would apply only to passenger e-bikes, and for personal use e-bikes, it would depend, it would be on a case-by-case basis.
Retuya said that the ban was necessary to prevent the uncontrolled spread of e-bikes in the city, similar to what has occurred in other cities.
He also said that they received reports of efforts to introduce more e-bikes in Mandaue.
Retuya said that the city had made significant efforts to prevent tricycles from operating on national highways, and now e-bikes were using the city’s roads.
The tricycle ban on highways is in accordance with a memorandum from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, aimed at ensuring safety and road clearance.
E-bike drivers do not have permit and license.
In Cebu City, the City Council called for measures to improve regulations and protocols for the use of e-bikes instead of imposing a complete ban.
The council instructed the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to designate specific routes for e-bikes, reinforce regulation protocols, implement rider safety education, and upgrade the e-bike registration system.