Electric-powered rides: mobility solution or road nuisance?

In Makati City where I work, one can no longer ignore the proliferation of electric-powered rides.

I’m referring to e-bikes that are commonly used by food delivery workers, and the eye-catching electric kick-scooters that are fast becoming the “in” thing among young professionals.

As a motorist and pedestrian, I have become a keen observer of this new mode of transport which I consider as both a boon and bane on our roads and to the public.

Driving around the city is no mean feat especially if one has to deal with some undisciplined jeepney and tricycle drivers, as well as motorcycle riders.

These days, we also need to watch out for “misbehaving” e-bike and electric kick-scooter riders.

When you’re behind the wheel, you have to be wary of unmindful riders going the wrong way, weaving in and out of traffic, and ignoring traffic signals.

Not to mention those who still use their electric-powered rides with busted head and tail lights.

If you’re a pedestrian, you have to be cautious as these electric-powered rides can go as fast as 20 km/h, and do not have the familiar motor sound that can alert you if one is approaching.

Considering the speed and weight of an e-bike or an electric kick-scooter plus the weight of its rider, the result can be deadly for the hapless pedestrian.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not against these electric-powered rides.

Who doesn’t want a cheaper, quieter and cleaner alternative to expensive gasoline-powered motorcycles and scooters?

They provide a means to getting earlier to one’s destination minus the sweaty shirt and aching muscles.

They’re also invaluable to residents and workers who travel a distance that’s too far to walk but too short to drive, the so-called “last kilometer” that has stumped transportation planners for decades.

And because an e-bike or electric kick-scooter can also assist the elderly, the differently-abled and the less physically active individuals in terms of mobility, I am glad to have them around.

So, what bugs me? Just like any law-abiding motorist, I abhor undisciplined drivers of any vehicle, and we all know our roads have an abundance of this type of motorists.

So, before more irresponsible riders of e-bikes and electric kick-scooters occupy our city roads and sidewalks, I urge the Land Transportation Office to issue clear-cut guidelines on the registration of electric-powered rides.

Riders should also apply for a license as they are operating a vehicle that is powerful enough to injure a person or damage a property should it figure in a collision.

And like drivers of regular motorized vehicles, there should be a minimum age requirement to be able operate these electric-powered rides.

I’d like to reiterate this because I was alarmed when I encountered three boys barely in their teens on an e-bike along busy Kalayaan Avenue in Makati.

We all have the right to own any mode of transport that we fancy. But for everyone’s safety, authorities should step in to set guidelines on this fast-emerging mode of urban transport.

If used responsibly, e-bikes and electric kick-scooters may very well be part of a solution to our country’s various commuting and traffic problems.

Otherwise, they are just a nuisance that should be promptly dealt with by the government.