By Dinna Louise C. Dayao, with additional reporting from Kenneth Roland A. Guda

Are the people who ride light electric vehicles (LEVs) pasaway and takaw disgrasya? Not Corinna Pettyjohn and many like her who choose these cost- and energy-efficient, practical vehicles as their main mode of transport.

Corinna Pettyjohn is a superwoman on a light electric vehicle (LEV). Using one electric cargo bicycle, she brings her two kids to school before going to work and arriving fresh as a daisy. Then, at the end of the day, she gives a colleague a lift to the MRT station. (LEVs refer to electric scooters, bicycles, and similar vehicles weighing less than 50 kilograms, according to the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act or EVIDA.)

“Being an LEV user is a superpower for me,” says Pettyjohn, an elementary English teacher. Walking or taking public transportation doesn’t work for her. It would take too much time to walk her kids to school and to wait for the bus to McKinley Hill, where she works. In contrast, her daily commute on her LEV takes about 22 minutes one way.

Pettyjohn is aware of the risks of two-wheeled travel on Metro Manila’s unsafe streets. This is why she, her children, and her co-worker always wear helmets. She also makes sure to ride in the bike lanes on her daily commutes.

In short, she does not fit the image of the LEV user as a recalcitrant thrill seeker. This is the derogatory image projected by Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Asec. Markus Lacanilao and netizens in kamote e-bike videos.

The LTO chief claims that many LEVs are involved in road crashes. Therefore, he reasons, LEV users should be banned from major thoroughfares. The hasty ban contravenes EVIDA, yet it still took effect on Jan. 2, 2026.

But the data from the MMDA belies Asec. Lacanilao’s claim: In 2024, only 1.52% of MMDA-reported crashes involved bikes, e-bikes, or pedicabs, compared to 54% for cars.

“While risks shouldn’t be ignored,” according to Mobility Awards, “this indicates that blanket bans aren’t evidence-based and that there needs to be a more responsible and well-thought-out approach rather than sweeping prohibitions.” 

Instead of jumping to hasty conclusions about LEV users, let’s get to know them, learn why they choose these cost- and energy-efficient, practical vehicles as their main mode of transport, and hear their thoughts on LTO’s ill-conceived ban.

On Marion Micah Tinio’s LEV, his formerly stress-free commute from his home in Quezon City to his workplace in Ortigas used to take only 30 minutes. However, his carefree commutes came to an end when LTO’s ban came into effect.

On Jan. 6, he wrote on Facebook: “Because of [the] Mandaluyong City Traffic and Parking Management Department’s announcement that they [will] ban LEVs on roads including Ortigas Avenue, I chose to use public transport today. My 30-minute e-scooter trip became a 65-minute trip using the jeep and EDSA bus.”

As an LEV user, Tinio should be able to use the bicycle lanes on Ortigas Avenue. EVIDA states that local government units shall “Provide segregated lanes for light electric vehicles in all major local and national roads, in coordination with the DPWH: Provided, That such lanes may be integrated with bicycle lanes.”

However, Tinio was apprehensive of LTO’s spotty enforcement of its ill-conceived ban. A GMA News report showed LTO enforcers arresting LEV users for “reckless driving” and “driving without license.” The penalty for the former is ₱2,000 for a first offense. On the other hand, the penalty for the latter is ₱3,000. In contrast, a DZBB report showed LTO enforcers informing LEV users of the ban without issuing them tickets.

Tinio wrote, “Pinili namin ang electric vehicles dahil mura at walang contribution sa air pollution. Pero hindi ko magamit kasi ang karapatan namin sa kalsada ay hindi sigurado. Kasi malabo ang guidelines. Pabago-bago ang rules. Hindi tayo uusad palayo sa maduming klase ng transportation kung kontra sa malilinis na klase ang government. Oo, kahit may EVIDA, kontra pa rin sila.”

(We chose electric vehicles because they are affordable and do not pollute the air. But I cannot use my LEV because my right to use it on the road is not assured due to unclear guidelines and inconsistent rules. We will not shift away from dirty, fossil-fueled transportation if the government opposes clean transport options like LEVs. This goes against EVIDA.)

Kenneth Roland A. Guda depends on two LEVs — a moped and a folding bike — for his essential trips. He uses the moped to bring Yela, his daughter who has autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, to her various therapy classes in different centers around Metro Manila. He also rides it to go to work in UP Diliman, roughly 10 kilometers from his home in Manila.

Guda relies on his folding bike to bring him closer to the communities he writes about and deepen his work as a journalist. For example, while researching the demolition of homes in Santa Mesa and Sampaloc in Manila to make way for the NLEX Connector Road, his folding bike let him navigate narrow alleys and inner streets.

It literally brought him closer to the people whose lives were being upended. “It is easier for them to talk to you when you arrive on a bike,” he shares. “You are not someone stepping out of an air-conditioned car.”

The bicycle, he adds, becomes an icebreaker. Residents are often curious about his small, folding e-bike. They are surprised to learn that it can travel long distances and costs little to charge.

Whenever possible, Guda stays within the bike lanes. “In practice, however, they offer little protection,” he says. “They are often shared with motorcycles, pedestrians, and at times even used as parking spaces by private vehicles and police cars.”

Beyond road safety, his biggest concern is air pollution. “Tailpipe emissions from motorcycles, cars, and jeepneys are constantly blown straight into my face,” he says. After a ride, he jokes, his face feels like espasol. Protective eyewear and a face mask have become necessities in addition to the helmet.

Karen Crisostomo is a longtime bicycle commuter. She started using an LEV in April 2025. Since then, her 20-km round-trip commute from her home in Antipolo to her workplace in Pasig has been a breeze.

“My travel time is predictably about 1 hour one way,” Crisostomo says. Taking public transport would extend that to one and a half to two hours because of the long wait time and congestion.

Using her LEV lets her save precious time — and money, too. Crisostomo estimates that commuting by public utility vehicles would cost ₱3,740 a month. By dividing the cost of her e-bike by that amount, she’d recoup its cost in 12 months.

She also enjoys the physical benefits of riding an e-bike. “It keeps me on my toes, sharp and alert,” says Crisostomo. “I am more relaxed, too, knowing that I’ll get to my destination in good time.”

Crisostomo thinks LTO’s ban on LEVs “is wrong.” She says, “Why ban the mode of transportation chosen by many, including mothers and grandmothers like me? How am I supposed to get to work?”

Amelyn Daga’s e-bike is basic: two wheels and a single rider. But it has a big impact on the workday of someone like her, who needs to get from one office to another and keeps the university running.

Daga works in an office that regularly processes documents and often submits vouchers to the accounting office. Doing so on foot or by waiting for an infrequent Ikot jeepney can take up a big chunk of her day.

“It is a waste of time,” Daga says. “You could already be at accounting by then.” The situation became even more difficult in recent years as the number of Ikot jeepneys decreased following the government’s planned jeepney phase-out. Worse, some routes, like the one going to accounting, are not directly served by the Ikot jeep at all.

Daga’s e-bike bridges these gaps. The time and money saved add up. “If you go around campus three or four times a month, that already costs a lot,” she says. “With an e-bike, expenses are much lower.”

Daga has been using the e-bike for about two years now, with little trouble. “It is just like biking, but easier,” she says. Aside from a single flat tire, fixed at a vulcanizing shop near Pook Ricarte, the e-bike has been reliable. #

Dinna Louise C. Dayao (dinnadayao@gmail.com) is an independent journalist who has written about public health issues, such as the dangers of drink driving, vaping, and trans fats consumption. She was a Pulitzer Center grantee for her project, “Reporting on Road Safety in the Philippines.”

Dinna is the communication consultant of the Move As One Coalition, which advocates for safer and more inclusive public transportation in the Philippines. Her views are independent of her affiliation with the Coalition.

Kenneth Roland A. Guda is a freelance journalist covering human rights, environment, and development issues. He was a longtime reporter and editor for Pinoy Weekly and was a senior reporter for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.