TRB okays SCTEX toll adjustment effective Oct 12
The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has greenlit a toll hike for the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), introducing an extra ₱0.64 per kilometer charge starting October 17, 2023.
This adjustment is a segment of the sanctioned SCTEX periodic increments slated for 2021 and 2023, validated after meticulous scrutiny and standard regulatory protocols by the TRB, said SCTEX in an online announcement.
The TRB and SCTEX have opted for a phased approach to the toll increase to mitigate the financial blow to the expressway’s patrons, marking the commencement of three phases.
Under the new toll fee matrix, motorists with Class 1 vehicles traveling between Mabalacat City to Tarlac will be charged an additional ₱25. Motorists with Class 2 vehicles traveling on the same route will pay an additional ₱50, and those with Class 3 vehicles will pay an additional ₱75. Meanwhile, an additional ₱40, ₱81, and ₱121 will be charged to motorists using Class 1, 2, and 3 vehicles, respectively, traveling between Mabalacat City and Tipo, Hermosa, Bataan (near Subic Freeport).
Those traveling SCTEX end-to-end between Tipo, Hermosa, Bataan (near Subic Freeport) to Tarlac will pay an additional P65 for Class 1, P131 for Class 2 and P196 for Class 3.
The new rates were approved in August this year, but SCTEX decided to defer implementation to October in light of the inflationary situation.
Below is the toll fare matrix, reflecting the adjustment approved by the TRB.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) awarded the SCTEX concession contract to NLEX Corporation in 2015. Since then, the tollway company has invested in various enhancement projects to improve SCTEX’s pavement, systems, bridges, slopes, signs, lights, and other assets.
As of 2022, around P2.6 billion worth of infrastructure developments geared towards the safety and convenience of motorists have been implemented at the SCTEX since the NLEX Corporation took over the management, operation, and maintenance of the said expressway.
These initiatives encompassed upgrades to roadway illumination and signs, toll plaza enhancements, pavement refurbishments, guardrail and fence mending, RFID system improvements, and toll system advancements, not to mention the elevation of the Dinalupihan road and refurbishments of the Porac Gumain, San Matias, and Pasig Potrero bridges.