STARTING Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) allowed motorists to park for free in the city’s designated pay parking areas around the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.

But while parking fees have been waived, the CCTO will continue to strictly enforce the ordinances against double parking and no parking.

CCTO director retired Police Major Andres Bayarcal announced that the CCTO appealed to private firms handling the city’s parking system to suspend the collection of parking fees so that devotees will be able to park for free near the Basilica del Sto. Niño.

Pay parking areas on Magallanes St., F. Gonzales St., Manalili St., a portion on the Legaspi St. and Colon area are now temporarily free of charge until the end of the Sto. Niño fiesta celebration on Jan. 19, 2020, Sunday.

The CCTO also began to enforce a moratorium on clamping of illegally parked vehicles in Cebu City from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day.

The temporary suspension of the clamping ordinance will also apply until after Sunday’s grand Sinulog parade.

But those violating regulations on double parking and no parking on sidewalks will be issued tickets, said Bayarcal.

“We will not implement clamping or towing. After they are issued a ticket for double parking, their vehicle can still go home,” Bayarcal said in Cebuano.

This means violators will pay a lower fine since they will only pay for the parking violation and not for clamping or towing, he added. The fine for double parking and no stopping is P1,000, Bayarcal said.

Violators can settle their payment of the fine within seven days of the violation.

Traslacion route

Meanwhile the Sto. Niño image will be passing through a different route this year as the Traslacion procession from the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City will go through A.S. Fortuna St. instead of Barangay Subangdaku on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020.

Arnold Malig-on, traffic monitoring officer of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), said the change in route is largely due to the No Entry policy implemented on the Subangdaku highway last year for two hours which caused a major traffic congestion in the streets of Mandaue all the way up to the town of Consolacion.

On Friday, the whole stretch of A.S. Fortuna St. will be closed to traffic as soon as the image of Señor Sto. Niño and Birhen sa Guadalupe will arrive near the University of Cebu Banilad Campus.

After the two carriages bearing the images of Sto. Niño and Mother Mary pass through A.S. Fortuna St., Mandaue City traffic enforcers will begin to close Highway Seno and A. del Rosario St. to vehicular traffic.

S.B. Cabahug from the corner of A. Del Rosario to the corner of P. Gomez St. will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. until midnight, Friday.

Both images are expected to arrive at the National Shrine of St. Joseph (NSSJ) at 9 a.m.

At 11 a.m., a welcome Mass will be presided by Bishop Midyphil “Dodong” Billones.

The Manduae City Police Office will deploy 249 police personnel to secure the event along with 100 traffic enforcers. (JCT, KFD )