What else were Filipinos buying online in quarantine aside from food and other consumer products? Bikes and scooters. This is according to a study, by iPrice Group, an e-commerce organization that looked into Filipinos’ search habits from April until June.
Even before quarantine, many commuters have opted for this alternative mode of transport instead of braving long lines and crowded train cars as well as to easily navigate Metro Manila’s congested roads.
When the lockdown started during the first quarter of the year, some workers including medical frontliners, used scooters to make their way to work in the absence of public transportation.
LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said they already crafted the guidelines for using scooters which will only need the approval of DOTr. https://t.co/3b7cWPU60w pic.twitter.com/8uSAOqhq4E
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) September 22, 2020
This may soon change as according to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante a new guideline requiring driver’s license to users of electric and gas-powered scooters is only pending the approval of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“Ito ay nagbibigay ng guide para doon sa authorized o gagamit nito (scooters). Makita nila para saan pwede gamitin at ano kailangan para maautorize sila sa gagamit nito,” Galvante told ABS-CBN during a morning radio show.
[READ: This e-bike is the next pet-friendly item you should add to cart]He added that all kinds of vehicles using public highways must be registered and the driver must have a license.
Having a driver’s license means scooter users need to have a basic knowledge of road safety and regulation. Part of its regulation, Galvente added, is creating lanes far from other fast-moving and bigger vehicles, which can pose dangers to scooter riders.
LTO Region 7, on the other hand, will be apprehending e-scooters traversing highways, said LTO-7 director Victor Caindec.
Earlier this month, Iligan City Rep. Frederick Siao said electric scooter owners should have LTO permits since these scooters can be just as deadly as bicycles if driven irresponsibly. He is the author of House Bill 1987 or the Philippine Responsible Driving and Accountability Act.
Header photo by Marat Mazitov on Unsplash
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Writer: CHRISTIAN SAN JOSE
