Driver’s license is required for scooters
Neil Jason Servalos (Filipino Star) – September 23, 2020 – 12:00 am
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Land Transport Office (LTO) will soon require electric scooter users to obtain a permit and driver’s license from the agency as part of regulations to protect e-scooter users, who the government has said are vulnerable to road accidents.
LTO President Edgar Galvante said the administrative order standardizing guidelines for the measure was only awaiting approval by the Department of Transportation, which was also working on drafting the circular that would oversee the use of all electric-powered vehicles in the country.
Galvante said in a radio interview: “We have already submitted this administrative order and we are awaiting its issuance only to give guidance to the authorized individuals who use these vehicles and to find out what requires permission to use them.”
The move comes on the heels of a statement issued by Elegan City deputy Frederick Ciao, who said that electric scooters can be fatal in the hands of irresponsible or incompetent drivers. Ciao was also the author of House Bill 1987 or the Responsible and Accountable Driving Act in the Philippines.
To ensure that e-scooter drivers are aware of road safety, Galvante said that e-scooter drivers need driver’s licenses as stipulated in the pending administrative order.
“In general, all electric or gasoline-powered vehicles that use public roads must be registered, and their drivers must have a driver’s license,” he said.
Apart from this, the LTO will also provide specific routes and routes that e-scooters can traverse as Galvante said they cannot be driven on public roads where they can walk alongside vehicles that are much faster and heavier – a scenario he said calls for road accidents.
“We classify based on the vehicle’s weight, speed, and the ways that e-scooters can use because we all know that due to the nature of these types of vehicles, and specifically that they are lightweight, they can pose risks to users if they are not used properly,” Galvante explained, “and not driving on the right roads.” “.
