Cebu City Transport Body to Deploy 400 Traffic Enforcers During 51st IEC

The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) will field some 400 traffic enforcers during the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) set in Cebu from Jan. 24 to 31, an official said Wednesday.

Lawyer Rey Gealon, CCTO executive director, said they want a smooth flow of buses ferrying IEC delegates to the different venues.

Some 15,000 local and foreign delegates are expected to join the IEC.

Gealon said the traffic enforcers will also guide motorists away from some roads which will be closed to vehicular traffic on certain hours of the day during the international religious event.

Gealon said he has approved the request of Bishop Dennis Villarojo, secretary of the 51st IEC local organizing committee, to close certain roads for masses and a procession during the IEC week.

He urged commuters and motorists to take note of the road closures and alternative routes and to plot their routes on the affected days.

The opening mass for the IEC will be held at the PlazaIndependencia near the Cebu port area on Sunday, Jan. 24.

Gealon said roads around Plaza Independencia will be closed to vehicular traffic.

The roads surrounding Plaza Independencia will also also be closed to vehicles for the procession and benediction at 7 p.m. onwards on Jan. 29.

Earlier on the same day, the roads around the Cebu Capitol will be closed for the 4 p.m. mass that will be celebrated in front of the building.

The roads will be closed as early as Friday dawn since organizers still need to arrange chairs and other equipment.

The biggest expected crowd of a million is expected to attend the IEC closing mass on Jan. 31, at the South Road Properties, but roads there will not be closed for the event. (PNA) LGI/EB/EDS