End of the road? Philippine jeepneys face uncertain future

Manila: The firstjeepneysrolled onto the streets of the Philippines just after World War II noisy, smoke belching vehicles initially made from left...

Manila: The first jeepneys rolled onto the streets of the Philippines just after World War II -- noisy, smoke-belching vehicles initially made from leftover US Jeeps that became a national symbol.

Seven decades later, the colourfully decorated vehicles face an existential threat from a plan to replace them with modern mini-buses.

Easy to fix and cheap to ride, the vehicles grew in size and length to become the backbone of the country's transport system, carrying passengers, goods and even visiting popes.

But the government's plan to phase out jeepneys in an effort to modernise the country's chaotic public transport network has put the future of the iconic vehicles in doubt.