The end of Philippine jeepney?The Philippine government hopes to phase out jeepney, a symbolic outdoor bus that has served commuters for decades, and replace it with minibuses. Drivers are worried that they can’t afford to change trains and that their lives will end if they don’t have a car.This week, the transport union organized a temporary suspension to resist the plan, prompting schools to suspend classes in person and plan to work remotely.
Drivers are angry that the government wants to pay for a replacement that cost $43,600, and that the government wants to pay through a profit-sharing union.They say they will be buried in debt.The plan was introduced in 2017 by former President Rodrigo Duterte.He said the phase-out would help improve poor air quality in Manila and ease congested traffic. He once announced that a phase-out would occur by 2018, but the country’s transport ministry postponed the deadline after drivers organized a strike.Background: Jeepney was named after its origins as a U.S. military jeep.
인기글
