LTO photo
The Land Transportation Office is ramping up enforcement operations across Metro Manila as it rolls out additional teams to strictly monitor compliance with the newly implemented ban on electric tricycles along major thoroughfares.
With the policy now in force, the Land Transportation Office said more law enforcement personnel will be deployed on key highways to ensure that e-trikes and e-bikes stay off roads designated for faster-moving vehicles, citing traffic efficiency and public safety as the primary concerns.
“The prohibition of e-trikes on selected major roads is a necessary step to address traffic flow inefficiencies and enhance overall road safety for all commuters and motorists,” LTO chief Markus V. Lacanilao said. He explained that major highways are designed for higher-speed travel and are not suitable for alternative transport modes that lack dedicated lanes or protective infrastructure.
The agency officially began enforcing the ban on Friday, January 2, following a brief deferment in December. On the first day alone, LTO enforcement teams inspected 114 e-bikes and e-trikes along major routes including Quirino Avenue in Manila, Roxas Boulevard, C-5 Road, and EDSA—roads explicitly covered by the prohibition. Eight units were apprehended for violating the new regulation.
Lacanilao stressed that the measure is not meant to eliminate e-trikes from the transport system but to regulate where they can safely operate. “We recognize that e-trikes play a role in our public transport ecosystem. That is why the ban is limited to specific high-volume roads. Our priority is to balance mobility needs with safety and order,” he said, adding that the agency is coordinating with other stakeholders to identify alternative routes where e-trikes can operate without disrupting traffic or putting road users at risk.
The LTO also urged operators and riders to fully acquaint themselves with the list of prohibited roads to avoid penalties, warning that enforcement operations will be sustained and intensified in the coming weeks as part of the government’s broader traffic management and road safety efforts.