Between consumers and commuters

NO HOLDS BARRED
Ike Señeres

MANILA -- It’s amusing how people would tend to confuse the advocacies of consumers and commuters, but on second thought, these two causes are actually very much intertwined with each other. Just to prove my point, it could be said that commuters are consumers too, because they are in effect the customers of all kinds of transport services.

As part of its continuing efforts to improve its daily programming, Global News Network (GNN) has asked me to define the main thrusts of my show, so that these could be promoted in the daily merchandising plugs. In response, I choose consumer promotion, commuter protection and environmental action as my main subjects of discussion.

From the time that the National Council for Commuter Protection (NCCP) was founded about five years ago, I have already fallen in love with its advocacies. I wish NCCP all the good luck as it fields its nominees for Congress for the first time, as party list number 163 in the ballot. If you are a commuter of any kind, I encourage you to support them.

Normally, it is generally understood that commuters are the people who take public transports as they go from one place to another. In the perspective of the NCCP however, the people who own their own cars and who pass through the toll roads are also commuters and it is for this reason that the organization is also opposing the increase of toll fees every time the issue comes up. For the record, the NCCP has already done this once, as it was able to oppose the last proposed increase of the SLEX toll fees.

I do not know what has gotten into the head of our government planners, but they are now proposing the imposition of VAT over the SLEX and NLEX toll fees. I see this proposal as a form of double taxation, and I am glad that the NCCP has again picked up the cudgels to oppose this plan.

In theory, the people are paying taxes with the expectation that the government will build the roads that they need, using the taxes that they have paid. In reality however, the government collections go to the wrong purposes, and that is the reason why toll roads have to be allowed.

Looking at it from one angle, we could say that the people are kind enough to be willing to pay for the toll fees, just to be able to use the privately funded toll roads that should have been built with public funds in the first place. Looking at it from the opposite angle, we could also say that the government is cruel enough to think about imposing new taxes on the use of roads that should have been built with public funds in the first place. It is easy to say that this is a form of double taxation, but I a manner of speaking, we could also say that this is actually a form of double jeopardy.

The advocacies of the NCCP are very popular, and I would say that for as long as these are brought to the attention of the people, this party list would surely win, and its nominees would surely sit in Congress. It would be good if this would really happen, but I know for sure that win or loss, the NCCP will continue to fight for its advocacies whether or not they will have people in the Congress.

If you would like to express your support for NCCP as a party list, you could go online and register at http://nccp.webs.com. You could also contact NCCP by sending a text to 09276330526 or by calling up 331-6227. You could also send a fax to 559-3381.

As commuters of any land, air and sea transport, we should all know our rights. If you think that your commuter rights have been violated one way or the other, please request an incident report from the NCCP. If your complaint is due to land transports, you could send your complaints directly to LTFRB at phone number 426-2519.

It is unfortunate that the party list of the people with disabilities (PWD) has been disqualified in the coming election. Fortunately however, the concerns of the PWDs as commuters are included in the advocacies of the NCCP. It is for this reason that the nominees of the NCCP have vowed to carry on the mantle for the PWD sector if and when they make it to the Congress. If you or anyone in your family belongs to the PWD sector, I would encourage you to support the NCCP party list in the meantime, until your sector will have the chance again in the next election to field your nominees.

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