THE SUBIC-CLARK-TARLAC Expressway (SCTEX) recorded a 45.9% year-on-year increase in its toll revenue in 2022 to P3.26 billion on the back of resurging local travel, according to state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
The BCDA, the owner and builder of SCTEX, said in a statement on Monday that last year’s toll revenue was its “highest revenue record by far,” exceeding the P2.6 billion collected in 2019 and the P2.23 billion logged in 2021.
According to the government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), the surge in toll revenue is due to the higher number of daily traffic following the easing of pandemic-related border restrictions in 2021 and the uninterrupted serviceability of the major road network.
The BCDA said its average daily traffic rose 25.8% to 70,894 in 2022 from 56,362 in 2021. The 2022 level also breached the pre-pandemic level average daily traffic of 70,538 in 2019.
“As more people go on ‘revenge travel’ and more business operations return back to normal, we saw an increase in traffic volume in SCTEX. The BCDA is optimistic that this trend will be sustained as we continue to bounce back from the pandemic,” BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Aileen R. Zosa said.
The surge in traffic and toll revenues from SCTEX’s operations in 2022 also increased the concession fees received by the BCDA from its operations and maintenance partner NLEX Corp.
“Last year, the BCDA’s share in SCTEX’s revenues stood at P1.63 billion, 58.83% higher than the 2021 level of P1.03 billion. Cumulatively, concession fees collected from NLEX Corp. reached P7.8 billion since 2008,” the GOCC said.
“The concession fees collected by BCDA enabled the government to cover its debt payments to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which provided the financing support for the construction of the expressway amounting to JP¥59.04 billion,” it added.
The 93.7-kilometer SCTEX connects the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and the Central Techno Park in Tarlac.
The BCDA is mandated to assist in strengthening the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as establishing new cities. The GOCC is also engaged in public-private partnerships to improve public infrastructure such as tollways, airports, seaports, and major real estate developments. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave