End of the road for Philippine jeepney 'rolling art galleries'

Jeepneys, once hailed as the King of the Road and a cultural symbol in the Phillipines to rival New Yorks yellow taxis, may soon disappear from Manilas gridlocked streets, as authorities move to phase out the Philippines iconic WWII-era minibuses, citing pollution and safety concerns. Photo: AFP

Bernardo de la Cruz casts his eyes around the nearly silent workshop where he used to toil overtime hand-painting custom decor on jeepneys, the singularly Philippine minibuses facing the scrapheap.

These rolling art galleries adorned with images of everything from Batman to babies, as well as disco lights and chrome wheels, have for decades provided cheap transport for millions. But pollution and safety concerns have led to a modernisation programme, with jeepneys 15 years or older to be taken off the streets by 2020.