
Jeepneys are a visual feast of kitsch decoration, but they are also notoriously difficult to board and rely on old, emission-heavy engines.

Jeepney art often tells a story about the owner's life or heritage. Basketball players and cartoons also make regular appearances.

Jeepneys' bright -- and sometimes chaotic -- decoration have made them design icons in the Philippines.

Known in the Philippines as the "King of the Road," jeepneys are renowned for having designs as loud as their roaring engines.

Made from converted military jeeps abandoned by the Americans after World War II, jeepneys offered a convenient way to get around.

New government regulations are threatening to take thousands of jeepneys off the country's streets.

Jeepney art is a source of personal pride for owners. "It's a basic need for people who don't have money -- who don't have power -- to establish a presence and a sense of belonging," said Bru Sim-Nada, co-author of a book exploring the vehicles' religious iconography.

Official figures show that -- even before counting unofficial vehicles -- there are almost 180,000 franchised jeepneys across the Philippines.

The vehicles' size and shape allows them to navigate urban streets untouched by the limited public transit system.

As President Duterte promises to modernize the country's transportation system as part of a "golden age of infrastructure," it is unclear what role jeepneys will play in the future.


