22/09/2026
AN OPEN LETTER TO SKYWAY MANAGEMENT
Dear Skyway Management,
I am writing this not only as the owner of HitchPro Philippines, a company that has been manufacturing and supplying tow hitches, bicycle racks, motorcycle carriers and cargo management products in the Philippines since 2010, but also as a cyclist, motorist, taxpayer and toll-paying user of our expressways.
I fully understand and support the need for safety regulations.
If a bicycle rack, cargo carrier, motorcycle carrier or tow hitch installation is unsafe, overloaded, improperly installed, or obstructs the vehicle’s license plate, tail lights or visibility, then by all means, regulate it and enforce the rules.
But I believe there is a better way than simply banning the entire category.
For more than 15 years, we have been manufacturing and supplying credible, branded and properly engineered vehicle carrying and cargo management products. We are proud to say that we have not had product failures or reported incidents attributed to our products. Where incidents have occurred involving products in this category, there have also been cases where the equipment was improperly installed, overloaded, or not operated according to its intended use.
That distinction matters.
A mistake or irresponsible action by one person should not automatically become the mistake of everyone.
Many of our customers spend significant amounts of money on high-quality bicycle racks, motorcycle carriers, cargo carriers and tow hitch systems precisely because they want to transport their valuable equipment safely.
These are not improvised solutions.
They are established vehicle accessories used around the world.
I was also fortunate enough to recently travel to London and Ireland. I saw firsthand how bicycle transportation is integrated into everyday motoring and cycling culture, including the use of rear-mounted bicycle carrying systems and other vehicle accessories.
The question I kept asking myself was:
What makes the Philippines so different that responsible use of these same types of products cannot be accommodated through proper regulation and enforcement?
TO SKYWAY MANAGEMENT: PLEASE REGULATE SAFELY, NOT SIMPLY PROHIBIT
If there are concerns about a particular type of carrier, then establish measurable standards.
Require proper installation.
Require appropriate load ratings.
Require that the license plate, brake lights, tail lights and reflectors remain visible.
Require additional lighting or plate relocation when necessary.
Require that loads are properly secured.
Require that the carrier does not exceed reasonable dimensions or weight limits.
And if necessary, inspect the vehicle and its carrier before allowing entry.
I am more than willing to go through an inspection before entering Skyway if that is what it takes to ensure compliance.
We are not asking for an exemption.
We are asking for a practical system where responsible motorists can comply.
As taxpayers and toll-paying motorists, we are even willing to pay a premium for the convenience and safety of using the expressway — provided that we are given clear rules and a reasonable way to comply.
PLEASE ALSO REVIEW THE 1-METER LIMITATION FOR BICYCLE CARRIERS
I would also respectfully appeal to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to review the current application of the 1-meter limitation to rear-mounted bicycle carriers.
Modern bicycle racks are not all designed the same way.
There are internationally recognized racks from Swedish, American and Japanese manufacturers that are specifically engineered, tested and rated to safely carry multiple bicycles. Some are designed to carry up to four bicycles.
A four-bike carrier will naturally extend farther behind a vehicle than a single-bike carrier.
But the additional length does not automatically make the system unsafe.
What should matter is whether the vehicle and carrier combination is properly designed, securely installed, within its rated capacity, properly loaded, and equipped with the required visibility and safety provisions.
A four-bike rack can represent something much more meaningful than simply “four bicycles.”
It can represent a family of four going cycling together.
I say this personally.
I have two boys and a wife, and we are one of those families who enjoy riding together.
Being able to put four bicycles on one properly designed rack means that the entire family can travel together in one vehicle and enjoy cycling together at our destination.
That promotes exactly the kind of outdoor activity we should be encouraging.
It also promotes carpooling and more efficient use of vehicles.
Instead of four people taking separate vehicles to a cycling destination, one properly equipped vehicle can transport the entire family and their bicycles.
One vehicle. Four people. Four bikes. Less fuel consumed. Fewer vehicles on the road.
So I respectfully ask LTO to consider whether a simple dimensional limitation is the best way to determine safety for modern bicycle carriers.
Perhaps the regulation can instead be based on measurable safety criteria such as:
• Maximum allowable overall vehicle length
• Maximum carrier load rating
• Maximum bicycle weight
• Proper attachment to an approved vehicle mounting system
• Proper securing of every bicycle
• Visibility of license plates and lighting
• Required auxiliary lighting or plate relocation when necessary
• Proper identification or registration of the carrier when applicable
• Compliance with the manufacturer’s rated capacity
• Proper inspection and enforcement
This would allow the government to regulate the actual safety risk, rather than simply the number of bicycles being carried.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES
There is also another issue that I hope Skyway Management will consider.
For cyclists carrying their bicycles on rear-mounted racks, being turned away from Skyway does not necessarily make the journey safer.
It simply means we have to take another route.
For many of us, that can mean going back through EDSA and Balintawak, exposing our vehicles and expensive bicycles to much heavier stop-and-go traffic, congestion and increased opportunities for theft or accidental damage.
If the objective is road safety, shouldn’t we also consider the safety implications of the alternative routes motorists are forced to take?
The safer solution should not simply be:
“You cannot use Skyway.”
It should be:
“Here are the requirements you must meet to use Skyway safely.”
THE SAME PRINCIPLE SHOULD APPLY TO MOTORCYCLE CARRIERS
Hitch-mounted motorcycle carriers provide an affordable and practical way for riders to transport their motorcycles without having to purchase or store a trailer.
Not everyone has the budget, parking space or towing vehicle for a trailer.
For many Filipino riders, a properly installed hitch-mounted carrier is the most accessible way to transport a motorcycle to a trail, race event, repair facility or to assist another rider who has broken down.
We should not automatically assume that a properly engineered carrier is unsafe simply because another user may have improperly used one.
Regulate the equipment and the way it is used. Don’t punish responsible users for the mistakes of irresponsible ones.
WE ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH SKYWAY AND LTO
As a manufacturer and supplier, we are willing to participate in the conversation.
We are willing to provide technical information about load ratings, installation methods, securing systems and proper use.
We are willing to discuss inspection standards.
We are willing to help establish practical guidelines that manufacturers, retailers, motorists and enforcement officers can all understand.
Because at the end of the day, we want the same thing you do: safer roads.
Most of us are simply trying to transport our bicycles, motorcycles, camping equipment or cargo safely from Point A to Point B so we can spend more time outdoors with our families, friends and communities.
These activities also support local businesses, tourism, cycling events, motorsports, outdoor recreation and countless small businesses around the country.
The Philippines is an outdoor country.
We should be making it easier for responsible Filipinos to explore it, while making sure they do so safely.
So my respectful request to Skyway Management and the LTO is simple:
Please reconsider blanket restrictions and establish clear, practical and enforceable standards for bicycle racks, motorcycle carriers, cargo carriers and tow hitch accessories.
Tell us exactly what is safe.
Tell us exactly what is not.
Give compliant motorists a way to comply.
And enforce the same rules consistently.
We are not asking for special treatment.
We are asking for fair, practical and safety-focused regulation.
Because one person’s mistake should not become everyone’s restriction.
And because a family carrying four bicycles in one properly equipped vehicle should not automatically be treated the same as someone who is overloaded, improperly secured or operating unsafe equipment.
Let us regulate based on safety, not simply on assumptions.
Respectfully,
Joma Manas
HitchPro Philippines
Manufacturer of Tow Hitches, Trailers & Vehicle Carrying Systems
Established 2010
