Public reminded of IEC dry-run

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City’s traffic enforcement arm reminds motorists to avoid Pope John Paul II Avenue tomorrow and on Monday for the traffic dry-run intended for an international religious gathering that the city is hosting.

Cebu City Transportation Office had identified alternate routes when Pope John Paul II Ave. is closed to private vehicles starting 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, and 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the next day.

As initial plan for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress, private cars will not be allowed to pass through the entire stretch of Pope John Paul II Avenue (former Juan Luna Avenue). This road directly leads to the IEC 2015 Eucharistic Village where the congress will be held for eight days.

“If you’re coming from the north and you wanted to go to the south. Don’t take J. Luna (but rather) take Mindanao Avenue, or A.S. Fortuna Street or Salinas Drive via I.T. Park,” said lawyer Raphael Christopher Yap, acting department head of CCTO.

“If you’re coming from the south going to the north, don’t go via J. Luna.  Take Mactan Street, Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Gorordo Avenue, Salinas Drive or Governor M. Cuenco Avenue,” he said.

Yap emphasized that the proposed traffic plan will not affect public utility vehicles such as jeepneys and taxis.  The dry-run will allow CCTO together with the IEC organizers to examine whether the proposed traffic scheme is possible.

Contingency plan

The Visayan Electric Company is putting up some contingency measures for the upcoming IEC and the Sinulog celebration happening in January next year.

For both events, VECO shall have a contingency plan that will cover the following:

• Exclusion of feeders serving different venues and churches of the IEC from Automatic Load Drop schedule;

• Coordinated scheduling of Planned Line Maintenance works near IEC and Sinulog venues, churches and procession routes so as not to cause traffic jams due to heavy equipment mobilization and staging;

• Survey of Overhead lines and related facilities to clear them from objects (vegetation), and related factors;

• Standby crew (mobile / motorbike) near vicinity of IEC venues / procession map;

• Checking of VECO’s connection point of customer side (venue/building) for any abnormalities to employ preventive measure;

• Close monitoring of weather disturbances for VECO to implement appropriate contingency plan for Sinulog and IEC.

In case of power shortage or grid disturbances, feeders supplying S?i?nulog and IEC venues shall be excluded from the rotational brownout or manual load dropping. — May B. Miasco and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/LPM (FREEMAN)