E-bikes on national roads: A risk we can no longer ignore

The government's decision to move the strict enforcement of the ban on e-bikes and e-trikes on national highways from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2 has bought riders a little more time—but not more safety.

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The delay came after complaints and confusion over implementation, but the rationale behind the policy has never been ambiguous. As Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stressed, the rules are “not meant to make life harder” but to “ensure the safety of e-bike users” and of all motorists who share the road. And on this issue, the safety argument is overwhelming.

Across the country, e-bikes and e-trikes have become the mobility of choice for many families. They are affordable, easy to operate, and require no fuel. For parents who must bring their children to school, workers traveling short distances, or seniors who need a quick ride to the market, these small vehicles offer independence. But that convenience is precisely what has led them into places where they do not belong—most notably, national highways, where speed limits, road designs, and traffic volumes are fundamentally incompatible with the limitations of these electric units.