MANILA, Philippines — State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) reported a 46 percent increase in toll revenues from the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in 2022, driven by the resurgence of local travel amid easing COVID-19 restrictions.
In a statement yesterday, BCDA said the 2022 toll revenue of P3.26 billion was the highest collection since the road network was opened to the public in 2008.
The BCDA, the builder and owner of SCTEX, attributed the record revenue to the increase in the number of daily traffic with the easing of pandemic-related border restrictions and the uninterrupted serviceability of the major road network.
“As more people go on revenge travel and more business operations return back to normal, we saw an increase in traffic volume in SCTEX,” BCDA president and CEO Aileen Zosa said.
“The BCDA is optimistic that this trend will be sustained as we continue to bounce back from the pandemic,” she said.
The agency reported that the average daily traffic in SCTEX exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2022, reaching 70,894 vehicles as compared to 70,538 vehicles in 2019.
The 2022 figure was also 25.78 percent higher than the 2021 average daily traffic of 56,362 vehicles.
“The increase in traffic and toll revenues from SCTEX’s operations in 2022 also resulted in the highest concession fees received by the BCDA from its operations and maintenance partner, NLEX Corp., “the start-run firm said.
Last year, the BCDA’s share in SCTEX’s revenues stood at P1.63 billion, 58.83 percent higher than the P1.03 billion in 2021.
Concession fees collected from NLEX Corp. reached P7.8 billion since 2008, the BCDA 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 ¥59.04 billion.
The 93.7-kilometer SCTEX serves as a vital link between the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and the Central Techno Park in Tarlac. It has been instrumental in the transformation of Central Luzon into a world-class logistics and transhipment hub, opening doors to greater opportunities in investment, trade, and employment, and propelling economic growth in the region.
The BCDA, created through Republic Act 7227 or the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, is mandated to help strengthen the Armed Forces while building great cities, with the establishment of integrated developments, dynamic business centers and vibrant communities.