ILOILO City — Electric bicycles (e-bikes, electric tricycles (e-trikes) and other light electric vehicles (LEVs) traveling on national highways should not be issued “obstruction” violations, Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna said.
Cabaluna, chairperson of the City Council’s Committee on Transportation, clarified that obstruction applies only when a vehicle is parked or stopped in a way that blocks traffic, not when a moving vehicle is passing through a restricted road.
“Obstruction is a non-moving violation. You commit it when you are stopped and blocking traffic — not when you are driving,” he said, emphasizing that enforcement must be fair and technically correct.
His statement came after Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) head Uldarico Garbanzos said their office had been apprehending LEV drivers even before the Land Transportation Office (LTO) reiterated that e-bikes and e-trikes are prohibited on national highways.
The city councilor stressed that any violation issued by TTMO must align with national laws, particularly the Traffic Code (RA 4136) and LTO guidelines.
“We cannot simply create a violation that does not apply,” he said.
Under Iloilo City Ordinance No. 2008-393, obstruction is a non-moving violation with a P200 penalty, but Cabaluna reiterated that this does not fit the situation of LEV riders merely traversing a highway.
The councilor also noted that the city is awaiting an LTO memorandum circular outlining the national policy on e-trikes as public transport.
“The issuance will tell us what type, build, and design of e-trike will be permitted,” Cabaluna said, adding that safety standards and driver qualifications must also be clearly defined.
He hopes the LTO will release the circular soon, particularly with the ban on e-bikes and e-trikes on national highways set for full implementation on January 2, 2026./PN
