Members of the Metro Manila Council convene at the MMDA Headquarters. Courtesy of Manila Public Information Office

MANILA (UPDATE) - Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Thursday said he would ban e-tricycles in the capital after the national government tagged the electric vehicles as "toys."

The pronouncement that e-tricycles are classified as toys originated from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which advised the Manila mayor to disallow the battery-operated vehicles from public roads.

"Ako pinapa-pull out ko na. We will pull it out kasi (because) it generates chaos," Moreno told reporters after a meeting with Metro Manila mayors.

(I have ordered its pull-out.)

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) could not regulate e-trikes because these are not motorized vehicles, the Manila mayor said.

"'Yung LTFRB binigyan ng prebiliheyo na makapag-hanap buhay 'yung jeepney driver tapos inagawan ng pasahero ng e-trike na walang prangkisa pero may pagkilala ng lokal [na pamahalaan]," he said.

(The LTFRB gave jeepney drivers the privilege to earn, but their passengers are being grabbed by e-trikes that are recognized by the local government even if they do not have franchises.)

"Sabi ni [MMDA] Chairman [Danilo] Lim, baka puwedeng bigyan ng atensyon 'yung mga e-trike kasi kung saan-saan na. Buti pa nga ang jeep may ruta," he said.

(MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim asked us if we could look into e-trikes because they're plying everywhere. They don't even have routes like jeepneys.)

The electronic tricycle was once dubbed as the future of public transport.

File photo: Prototypes of e-trikes on display during an electornic vehicle fair in 2017. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

With the Philippine capital set to impose an e-trike ban in the capital, Moreno said he will also urge the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to stop promoting and selling electric vehicles.

"Dapat bago pa ipanganak ang mga e-trike, bago pa lumabas sa mga pabrika, lagyan niyo na ng: 'This cannot be used for public transport,'" Moreno said.

(Before e-trikes are released from factories, they should already indicate that these cannot be used for public transport.)

"Dapat sa planta pa lang, ang category nitong mga e-trike ay for personal use," he said.

(Factories should already indicate that these are for personal use only.)

Moreno raised the same issue during the meeting and asked other Metro Manila mayors to pass an ordinance prohibiting e-trikes in public roads, according to the Manila Public Information Office.

"It is high-time for DOTr to qualify these types of vehicles. Can they be used as public vehicles? Nakakalungkot dito (This is sad), we want to recognize LTFRB’s authority," Moreno was quoted as saying by his public information officer.

Since last year, the city government received hundreds of electricity-run vehicles from the Department of Energy (DOE) as the national agency urged Metro Manila cities to use cleaner sources of energy.

The three-wheeled electric vehicles sought to replace the gasoline-run tricycles, which are being phased out by the city government.

Other mayors also raised questions on the safety of e-trikes.

"Maraming e-trike, magulo. Hindi registered. Walang maliwanag na clear-cut policy," said Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

- with a report from Michael Delizo, ABS-CBN News