Jeepney drivers protest over phase-out plan

Taking to the streets: Policemen blocking the way of jeepney drivers and operators as they march during a protest against the jeepney modernisation plan in Manila. — AFP

Jeepney drivers staged a noisy protest in the capital Manila 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.