Starting December 1, e-bikes and e-trikes will be banned from major roads.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), together with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), made this commitment on Thursday, Nov. 27, during the Senate plenary deliberation of its proposed 2026 budget.

It clarified, however, through its budget sponsor Senator JV EJercito, that they will not immediately begin arresting its users.

This was after Senator Raffy Tulfo asked the agency regarding programs to regulate the use of e-bikes and e-trikes, which, according to him, have been the subject of multiple complaints to his office, even stating that they're the new "king of the road", surpassing passenger jeepneys.

"Lumalala po yung problema sa e-bike and itong mga nag-e-bike ofcourse nagsasakay sila mga pasahero, walang mga lisensya, at of course dahil hindi sila rehistrado sa LTO wala din po silang insurance, third party liability, so kapag sila po ay nakasagasa then sorry na lang (The problem with e-bikes is getting worse, and of course those using e-bikes are taking passengers even though they have no licenses. And since they are not registered with the LTO, they also have no insurance or third-party liability. So if they hit someone, then that’s it—there’s nothing anyone can do)," Tulfo said.

Ejercito said that the dilemma of the LTO and the DOTr is that it was the Local Government Units (LGUs) that gave them franchises. However, as far as the LTO is concerned, he stated that they are not registered and should not be passing through main thoroughfares.

For leeway, according to the senator, they are allowed only within barangays and subdivisions, but they are not supposed to use main thoroughfares.

Now, with the DOTr's new commitment, they will first conduct an information drive to inform e-bike and e-trike users. DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez committed to sending a letter to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) by November 28 to notify local government units about the matter.

“By December 1, mag-iinfo drive muna sila, mag-iikot, sasabihan po muna lahat na nakikita. So bibigyan muna nila ng tsansa malaman po lahat, information campaign. Bago po sila manghuli. Warning po muna (By December 1, they will first conduct an info drive, go around, and inform everyone they see. They will first give everyone a chance to be aware—an information campaign—before they start apprehending. There will be warnings first),” Ejercito said.

Tulfo said that he has nothing against e-bikes and e-trikes and suggested disseminating information to the public regarding the impending ban on main thoroughfares.

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against sa e-bike. Ito po ay ginagawang hanapbuhay ng iba nating mga kababayan (This has become a source of livelihood for some of our fellow Filipinos),” he said.

“Ang gagawin ng LTO pumunta sa LGU and then yung LGU iimporhanan yung mga traffic enforcers. May mga kanya-kanyang traffic enforcers ang mga LGU. And these traffic enforcers, these people in barangays will inform naman itong e-bike or e-trike operators (What the LTO will do is go to the LGUs, and the LGUs will assign their traffic enforcers. Each LGU has its own traffic enforcers, and these enforcers, along with barangay personnel, will inform the e-bike or e-trike operators),” he added.

DOTr said it plans to conduct public consultations to discuss safety measures, possible e-bike and e-trike registration, and licensing.