The Philippine government declares war on a beloved vehicle

VENETIANS have their vaporettos, Londoners their double-deckers, Japanese their bullet trains and Filipinos their jeepneys. None of those other vehicles, however, is as dirty, dangerous and uncomfortable as the jeepney, a Frankenstein’s monster of a minibus that was first cobbled together some 70 years ago. Yet when the government announced plans to phase jeepneys out, opponents accused it of trying to expunge the soul of the nation.

The first jeepneys were made from surplus jeeps that American forces left behind after the second world war. Enterprising Filipinos added benches and a roof, creating affordable public transport and a host of small businessmen, who owned and sometimes drove the vehicles. In due course, jeepneys were embellished with chrome decorations, colourful streamers, fairy lights and gaudy paintings of everything from Jesus Christ to fighter jets. Many are also fitted with deafening stereo systems. The supply of surplus jeeps dried up long ago, so the builders now take superannuated diesel trucks from Japan and add bodywork vaguely reminiscent of a jeep. A short hop around Manila costs 8 pesos ($0.16).

But the passenger must crouch to climb in the back and squeeze onto an inward-facing bench, hunched under the low roof and crammed up against the passengers on either side and opposite. Air-conditioning to take the edge off the tropical heat and humidity is rare. The cramped space and single exit make the work of pickpockets and armed robbers easy. Breakdowns are frequent. The old engines spew smoke into the already filthy air of Philippine cities. Drivers pick up and set down customers anywhere they like, often without pulling over, imperilling the passengers and blocking the road.

No wonder, then, that the government has decided to ban jeepneys that are more than 15 years old, starting next month. It wants drivers to use electric replacements instead, or at least vehicles with cleaner engines. Manufacturers have proposed new models that look less like jeepneys and more like—whisper it—minibuses, with such frills as side entrances, individual forward-facing seats, air-conditioning, automated fare collection and security cameras. The government says it will provide cheap loans to buyers.

Angry jeepney operators drove in convoy through Manila on December 4th to protest against the plan. They say that most operators will not be able to afford the new models, which cost around 1.5m pesos. Such expensive vehicles, they maintain, will drive up the minimum fare to 20 pesos. And then there is the fact that the clapped-out, smoke-belching jeepney is a national treasure and an expression of collective genius.