Philippine jeepney drivers protest over phase-out plan

Philippine jeepney drivers staged a noisy protest in the capital Manila on Tuesday over the government's plan to phase out the smoke-belching vehicles nationwide and replace them with modern mini-buses.

Jeepneys — first made from leftover US jeeps after World War II —are a national symbol in the Philippines, and serve as the backbone of the country's transport system.

They provide rides for millions of people across the country for as little as 13 pesos (23 cents).

A convoy of jeepneys drove through Manila in opposition to the phase-out plan, which was launched in 2017 as part of a programme to improve the country's chaotic public transport system.

It has been repeatedly delayed due to protests and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jeepney operators were given until the end of 2023 to join a cooperative, which will have two to three years to replace their fleet with modern vehicles that are safer and less polluting.

The cooperatives will be able to access bank financing and receive a government subsidy of between 200,000 and 300,000 pesos per vehicle to ease the financial burden of the transition, officials have said.

But drivers opposed to the phase-out argue that joining a cooperative and buying a new vehicle will bury them in debt and they won't be able to earn enough money to survive.

And they will be required to drive a fixed schedule, rather than the current system that allows them to work for as long, and often, as they want.

"We are not against modernisation, what we are against is the system. They made a programme without consulting us," said Emilio Millares, 59, who has been driving a jeepney for four decades and took part in Tuesday's protest.

"We will continue to fight for these jeepneys and our livelihoods until our last breath."

"I have eight children and many grandchildren. All are dependent on me."