Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has sought passage of a bill strengthening the rights of passengers using taxis and tourist car transport services.

Gatchalian noted there is no law yet that establishes the rights of passengers with the goal of improving the standard of transport services in the country.

“We have not yet seen a law that establishes the rights of passengers with the goal of improving the standard of transport services. To address this issue and prevent further untoward incidents in the future, a passenger bill of rights would protect the commuting public from abusive, itinerant and discourteous drivers of taxis and similar vehicles for hire,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian has filed Senate Bill 819, or the An Act Establishing the Rights of Passengers of Taxis, Tourist Car Transit Services and other Similar Vehicles for Hire, which seeks to protect commuters from abusive transport practices in the transport services sector.

Especially during rush hours, and more importantly, during holidays, these public transport services are useful and in demand, and more so during rainy season and late nights when passenger safety and availability of other modes of public transportation are primary concerns.

Moreover, commuters commonly experience difficulty securing rides amid heavy vehicular traffic and some public transport drivers take advantage and ask for additional charges.

“Mas praktikal para sa karamihan ng ating mga kababayan na magtaxi o sumakay ng Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) gaya ng Grab, Angkas, Joyride, Toktok at iba pa, para sa mas komportableng biyahe, pero kailangan din nating siguruhin na may angkop na proteksyon ang mga pasahero na gumagamit ng ganitong mga serbisyo (It’s more practical for the majority of our citizens to book a taxi, or ride a TNVS like Grab, Angkas, Joyride, Toktok and others, for a more comfortable ride, but we still need to ensure that consumers who utilize these services are adequately protected),” he stressed.

“We have seen countless videos and heard sordid stories of passengers who were preyed on or became victims of abusive or negligent drivers of taxis or other similar vehicles for hire,” he pointed out.

“Instead of convenience or cost-savings, some passengers experience being refused carriage or forced to pay an extra amount on top of the meter bill. There are reports that even tourists have fallen victims to these drivers taking advantage of the situation,” he lamented.

Such incidents happen and are often tolerated or ignored due to lack of laws that protect the commuting public from them, Gatchalian emphasized.

“Thus, to address this problem and prevent any more untoward incidents of this nature to occur In the future, a passenger bill of rights is hereby proposed to protect the commuting public from abusive, itinerant, and discourteous drivers of taxis and similar vehicles for hire, provide sanctions for the offenses committed against the riding public, and elevate the standards in rendering transport services,” the senator stated in Senate Bill No. 819.