THE Cebu City Government temporarily suspended the clamping and towing of illegally parked vehicles, including motorcycles, between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., starting Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, until Jan. 19.
City Hall clarified that other times of the day, clamping will still be enforced.
Mayor Edgardo Labella issued the order following an uproar from netizens on the clamping of 115 vehicles in the vicinity of the Basilica del Sto. Niño on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Labella said drivers who don’t park in designated areas during this time period will just be reprimanded.
The City Government provided a parking space near the Compania Maritima Bldg. at the back of City Hall for devotees attending the novena mass for the feast of the Señor Sto. Niño at the basilica.
If that space is already full, the mayor advised motorists to park their vehicles at the SM City Cebu at the North Reclamation Area or at the SM Seaside City Cebu at the South Road Properties.
Labella said he already asked the management of both malls to open their parking lots at 4 a.m.
Vehicle owners can then take the MyBus going to the basilica for free, he said.
Labella also directed June Maratas, head of the Department of General Services, to prepare the City’s airconditioned buses should there be a shortage of MyBus buses ferrying devotees to the basilica.
According to Alma Barandog-Casimero, a total of 335 vehicles were clamped and 69 motorcycles were towed since Jan. 9 until 3 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13.
After 7 a.m., though, Labella warned the personnel of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) will clamp illegally parked vehicles and tow motorcycles in no-parking and no-stopping zones.
He said CCTO personnel will be deployed in busy streets to guide drivers to the parking areas at the Compania Maritima Bldg. and the two SM malls.
The mayor said vehicles that park outside designated areas and affect the traffic flow will be clamped and towed.
City Ordinance (CO) 1664 penalizes overnight illegal parking, while CO 1657 allows for the clamping of illegally parked vehicles.
In Mandaue City, there will be strictly no parking on roads surrounding the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Barangay Centro on Friday, Jan. 17, for the visit of the image of the Señor Sto. Niño.
Illegally parked vehicles will be clamped and towed, said John Eddu Ybañez, executive secretary of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.
“The roads in the vicinity are very narrow and we expect a lot of devotees to flock to the shrine that day,” Ybañez said in Cebuano.
Some roads in the vicinity of the shrine will also be closed to traffic, except for emergency vehicles.
“Probably, during the traslacion (on Jan. 17), we will implement the no-entry policy around 5 a.m.,” he said in Cebuano.
A parking building is located across the Mandaue City Hall and beside the Land Bank of the Philippines. There’s also a parking area at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.
Ybañez said they will deploy traffic enforcers to prevent illegal parking on the streets during the visit of the image of the Señor Sto. Niño.
“We will have our final coordination meeting for the event tomorrow (Jan. 15),” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English. (PAC / MVG, KFD)