Ang Pahayagan

MANILA – The third and final tranche of toll rate adjustments for the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) will begin on Sept. 9.

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has authorized the additional 64 centavos per kilometer for Class 1 vehicles (cars, jeepneys, vans, pickups and motorcycles); PHP1.29 per kilometer for Class 2 (larger sports utility vehicles and with trailers); and PHP1.93 per kilometer for Class 3 (heavy trucks and other large commercial vehicles with three or more axles), according to a news release over the weekend.

The additional rates, which followed strict compliance with regulatory procedures and thorough review, are part of the approved 2020/2022 petition for periodic adjustments for SCTEX due in 2021 and 2023.

The TRB, Bases Conversion and Development Authority and NLEX Corporation agreed to implement the adjustments in three tranches over three years to lessen the impact on motorists.

An example of the rate hike will see Class 1 vehicles traveling from Mabalacat City, Pampanga (Mabiga Interchange) to Tarlac paying an additional PHP25; Class 2 vehicles, PHP51; and Class 3 vehicles, PHP75. 

Motorists traveling between Mabalacat City (Mabiga Interchange) and Tipo, Hermosa, Bataan (near Subic Freeport) will be charged an additional PHP40, PHP80, and PHP121 for Class 1, 2, and 3 vehicles, respectively.

Those traveling the entire SCTEX stretch from Tipo to Tarlac will pay an additional PHP66 for Class 1, PHP131 for Class 2, and PHP197 for Class 3 vehicles.

Over the past years, various infrastructure and enhancement projects have been implemented along SCTEX to further improve motorists’ safety and convenience, including upgrades for the RFID (radio-frequency identification) and toll systems; additional security cameras and speed monitoring systems; routine maintenance activities such as signage replacement, pavement repairs and crack sealing, guardrail and fence repairs, and repainting of road furniture; and rainwater collection systems at the Floridablanca and Dinalupihan rest bays to supply water to public restrooms.

The SCTEX is the longest four-lane expressway in the Philippines to date, spanning almost 94 kilometers. It makes travel easier and faster between Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales, Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga and Central Techno Park in Tarlac, and connects major infrastructures, such as the seaport in Subic and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark. (PR)