A RIDE-hailing application will remove the major roads in their maps that are included in the Sinulog route.
Grab Cebu senior city manager, Raymond Dejan, told SunStar Cebu that Grab users can’t book in the areas where the Sinulog events will take place.
“We basically cropped out the locations because aside from it being closed to vehicles, there’s no signal also,” Dejan said.
He said that they set parameters where Grab drivers can drop off their passengers.
“For example, their destination is the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño, then we can only drop them in Pier 3. That’s the farthest that we can take them,” he said.
Dejan said that they followed the routes that were stated in the map provided by the Cebu City Government and clarified that they will still be able to transport passengers around Cebu.
“Yes, we are operational and we will be just around waiting for the signal turn on,” he said.
Grab Cebu is set to release its official press release on their operations during the Sinulog shut off.
For concierge and delivery service app Honestbee, services in Cebu City will be suspended during the shutoff, said Eric Bataga, head of operations.
“Just like last year, we will be closing Cebu City, in particular, so we won’t have services for Saturday and Sunday,” he said.
Bataga clarified that their services will continue in other areas except Cebu City.
If the signal shut off will affect neighboring areas, Bataga appealed to their customers to consider the traffic and the volume of people that will be on the streets for the festivities.
“But for Mandaue and Mactan, other areas will be operational. We will also put an advisory on our website that their orders will also be affected in the form of a delay, so that the customers will also manage their expectations,” he told SunStar Cebu.
“Also, there’s a possibility that our riders won’t find the item,” he added.
The Sinulog signal shut off is set on Jan. 19, Saturday to Jan. 20, Sunday.