Why the ban on modifications should be banned

By Botchi Santos July 22,2014

By now, news has gotten around that the Land Transportation Office plans to ban modifications on cars. While it has yet to release specifics, this doesn’t look good for car enthusiasts. Here are some reasons why the LTO should rethink its plan.

 

Banning modifications on cars is unconstitutional. The Philippine Constitution is the most basic and highest law of the land. It is the basis of our democracy. Cars are more than just consumer durables that we buy, use and forget. Cars are usually the second most expensive purchase that people will ever buy in their lives (after a home). There is a deep emotional connection involved in car purchases. Yet cars are not always perfect in our eyes.

 

We see the need to improve them-for safety, efficiency and performance. We change the horns so that other motorists and pedestrians can hear us better. We change the lights to improve visibility, both for ourselves looking out of the car, and for motorists and pedestrians to see us. We change tires to improve safety, stability and grip. We get bigger, wider wheels and tires to improve braking and cornering performance, or for offroaders, to reach environments previously unreachable with regular, nonmodified cars. Or we simply want to modify them because we want to be different.

 

Cars are an extension of our freedom, and modifying cars is a means of expressing ourselves. The culture of modifying cars and the aftermarket industry that it spawns allows like-minded people to form a community, share information, buy and sell parts, and create healthy, perfectly legal and safe outlets for the young and young at heart. And now government wants to forbid us from doing so? Are we going Communist already?

 

Modified cars improve  and even save lives, and give us the opportunity to rise above and beyond the call of duty to help our fellowmen. During all the recent typhoons, flash floods and hurricanes as well as other natural disasters, only those with modified cars (i.e., raised, lifted pickups and SUVs) were able to reach distraught areas quickly to give water, food, medical aid, clothing and basic shelter materials while the government was too busy politicking, postulating and pointing fingers at who was at fault, who should be responsible and who should get all the fame, glory and credit.

 

Obviously these modified cars are owned by private individuals and enthusiasts who wanted to help our poor affected brethren. And you want to prevent them from doing so in the future, when climate change and the resulting  massive natural calamities are now a common recurring scenario which our own government is ill-equipped to handle effectively?!

 

Aside from natural disasters, I’ve spoken to many regular car owners who had no choice but to modify their cars because they live in areas where there are only dirt roads, no street lighting, or are far up in the mountains far from civilization. Regular cars can’t reach their locations because of poor terrain. By banning modified cars, do you want to send these people to go back living in the Stone Age?!

 

Banning modifications on cars will kill an entire industry. If we consider modifications and aftermarket as the same thing, then those in the  streets selling aftermarket and third party parts and accessories such as those in Banawe in Quezon City, Evangelista St. in Pasay, and similar streets in Antipolo and Marikina will be wiped out.

 

The modification market and aftermarket are considered one and the same by most people in the industry. Generally, modified/aftermarket parts pertain to anything car-related that are not bought from an authorized service center or car dealership.

 

Many nameless, faceless businesses owned by the rising middle class that generate much-needed jobs, spur economic growth and contribute taxes will be lost—just because the LTO wants the government to look so short-sighted, stupid and ignorant by introducing quick changes to make itself look good and feel better, and seem like it is doing its job, which it is obviously not doing.

 

Then there are local manufacturers like Philippine Aluminum Wheels Inc., or Pawi, manufacturers of the Rota brand of aftermarket performance wheels. Their biggest market, accounting for as much as 60 percent, is abroad. But what about the local 40-percent demand?

 

We also forget about the many jobs that Pawi generates? Pawi is but one of many local manufacturers that cater to the aftermarket. We also have Ramcar, maker of the Motolite brand of batteries, and Bridgestone’s local tire-recapping business. And in case you forgot, all of them  pay taxes which our government just squanders away.

 

We’re talking of an industry that is worth billions upon billions. And the LTO wants to kill this? Wow, really smart.

 

There are some questionable modifications that should be regulated. But before the LTO makes new rules to govern how we use our cars, there should be dialogues with the industry, car clubs, enthusiasts and the media. In the United States, for example, modifications are regulated but nonetheless allowed.

 

There are some simple, commonsensical regulations and restrictions that are easy to understand, and therefore help reduce the chances for corruption. When rules are easily understood, they will not be open to interpretation, especially by those persons who wield the badge of law but have never owned a car or worked in the car industry.

 

The government should simply focus on enforcing stricter emission rules and regulations, apprehending deathtrap PUVs with bald tires and other questionable equipment, or revoking the driving licenses of crazy PUV drivers, or implementing stricter  testing procedures for all would-be drivers.

 

I think taxpayers’ money will be better spent this way.

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