The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will prohibit e-bikes and e-trikes from major thoroughfares (roads and highways) beginning Dec. 1, 2025, LTO chief Markus Lacanilao announced Thursday, citing mounting safety risks and complaints that the vehicles have become reckless on Philippine roads.

The ban will allow exceptions only in barangays and subdivisions.

Vehicles caught on national, provincial, or major city roads after the grace period will face automatic impoundment, Sen. JV Ejercito said during Senate budget deliberations for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies.

Ejercito, the designated sponsor for the DOTr budget, relayed Lacanilao’s commitment following pointed questions from Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who told the chamber he had received numerous complaints describing e-bikes as the “new king of the road” that had overtaken even jeepneys in aggressive driving.

“Many of the riders are unlicensed, and the vehicles are lightweight. When accidents happen, the damage is severe — sometimes it’s even mothers carrying their children,” Ejercito said, stressing the danger on high-speed thoroughfares.

Tulfo acknowledged that e-bikes and e-trikes serve as a critical source of livelihood for many families but argued that stricter regulation had become unavoidable due to rising accidents.

The LTO will first launch a nationwide information campaign in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government units to give operators time to comply.

Warnings will be issued before full apprehension and impoundment begin.

“On main thoroughfares, they will really no longer be allowed,” Ejercito said. “We can perhaps give leeway inside barangays or subdivisions, but on primary roads, they will be completely prohibited.”

DOTr also plans separate public consultations to craft long-term safety standards, registration rules, and licensing requirements for e-vehicles.

The policy announcement came Thursday (Nov. 27, 2025) during the Senate’s plenary debate on the proposed 2026 national budget.