MANILA, Jan 16, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - 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."

Police said about 50 jeepneys were in the Manila convoy. Protests were also
held in other cities.

Restituto Rocafort told AFP on Monday that he had almost paid off his jeepney
and the phase-out plan would "only give me a huge debt".

To meet his contribution requirements to the cooperative, he would need to
earn 7,000 pesos a day, compared to his current daily earnings of 600-700
pesos, Rocafort said.

Nearly 77 percent of registered jeepneys in the country have joined
cooperatives, while 97 percent in Manila have consolidated, the transport
bureau said Monday.

Drivers who missed the December 31 deadline have been given permission to
continue operating until the end of January.

Older drivers like Artemio Cinco fear they will struggle to find employment
after January 31 due to their age.

"I'm losing sleep, especially now that the grace period is ending in a few
days," Cinco, 55, said Monday.

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