THE music festival held at the South Road Properties (SRP) last Saturday, Nov. 19 will serve as a “template” for the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) in managing traffic during the Sinulog Festival in January 2023.
Heavy traffic was experienced by motorists when going to and leaving the event, while commuters also had a hard time looking for public transportation in going to the concert venue.
CCTO head Raquel Arce told SunStar Cebu Tuesday, Nov. 22, that private vehicles will be “discouraged” from traversing the SRP during the Sinulog, which will happen on Jan. 15, 2023.
The music festival was held in the same area in SRP where then-presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. held his campaign rally in April for the 2022 elections.
“We consider the Aurora event as our template for Sinulog. Unsay kuwang, atoang pun-an,” said Arce. (Whatever is lacking, we will add.)
The Cebu Aurora Music Festival held at the City di Mare grounds featured performances by 11 artists and bands.
According to Arce, only a single lane will be open for emergency access but this is not final as of now and further adjustments might happen.
During a news forum on Tuesday, Sinulog Foundation Inc. executive director Elmer “Jojo” Labella said the City Government will also open four access roads that will connect some roads from Barangay Mambaling to the festival venue.
Labella also mentioned that a mall establishment that operates passenger buses in the SRP has also expressed its intention to provide transportation to the spectators.
Arce said the City Government will also deploy buses that will ferry the spectators from the north and south to the venue of the festival.
The pickup points for the buses will be Plaza Independencia and Barangay Mambaling, she said.
Aside from the buses, Arce added that they will also organize electronic bike (e-bike) drivers and habal-habal or motorcycle-for-hire drivers to provide alternative modes of transportation.
According to Labella, they expect around two million people to witness the Sinulog Festival at the SRP.