South Road Properties (SRP) will be closed the entire weekend to accommodate a racing event. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
THE coastal road of the South Road Properties (SRP) will be closed this weekend for an international car race organized by Toyota Motors Philippines.
The Mambaling road from the trunk to the corner of El Pardo Road will be closed from 4 o’clock in the morning to to 5 o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday for the Vios Cup Season 2.
“We advised vans and heavy trucks to avoid the area. We only allow light vehicles to pass through SRP because we are expecting a lot of spectators during the event,” said Joy Tumulak, Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) operations head.
Guests can use the parking areas of the Pedro Calungsod Shrine and the back of the race track near the Sugbu Building.
No-stopping and no- parking rules along the SRP will be strictly implemented.
Tumulak said 75 traffic personnel will manage traffic in the area during the race and an evening concert.
“Mayor Rama’s instructions is to be strict in securing the SRP due to the series of accidents that have happened there,” Tumulak added.
He said Citom coordinated with the Cebu Truckers Association, Metro Cebu Truckers Association, and the Oriental Port & Allied Services Corporation (OPASCOR) to minimize deliveries this weekend.
Cebu’s First Time
This is Cebu’s first time to host the Vios Cup Season 2, a two-day international car racing event.
There will be 46 drivers and seven celebrity drivers including Derek Ramsey, Jasmine Curtis, Phoemela Barranda, who will be participating in the event which is expected to draw 5,000 to 8,000 guests.
Free shuttle buses are available at SM City Cebu and Ayala Land FGU Building from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Perl Jacalan, Managing Director for Advertisting Services and Promotions (ASAP) said that they have a safety committee tasked to work on ensuring the safety of the event.
“We have fully coordinated with the local government units including the Citom and the PNP. We have four ambulance and we have medics. PNP also committed 55 police officers to watch over during the two-day event. We also have firetrucks and towing vehicles,” Jacalan told reporters.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will attend the opening ceremony on Sunday.
Car racing is not the only attraction that guests will look forward to. Jacalan said that there will be food stalls, inflatable playground for kids, and a free hot air balloon ride.
“We have two hours to let the hot air balloon fly. It’s important for the guests to register because we’ll raffle their names so they can ride it for free,” Jacalan said.
When asked why they chose to hold the event in Cebu, Jacalan said, “We want to push motorsports. We want to put Cebu in the map of international racing, and also to entertain people.”/XAVIER UNIVERSITY INTERN PEARL THERESE S. ATON