NLEX sees P16-billion revenue in 2019

MANILA, Philippines — NLEX Corp. is targeting P16 billion in revenues this year, driven by an expected toll increase and traffic growth, a top ranking company official said.

“Our 2019 [target] includes toll rate increase assumption, traffic growth and opening of NLEX Harbor Link, because this will bring additional revenue to us,” NLEX Corp. president and general manager Luigi Bautista said.

He said the company generated P12 billion in revenue last year.

He added that the company is expecting the approval of a P9 increase in its toll charges.

At present, the company charges P45 toll for Class 1 vehicles, P114 for Class 2 and P136 for Class 3.

NLEX filed a petition to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) in January to implement an add-on rate for all vehicle types using the toll road.

Last week, the company inaugurated NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, which is expected to improve accessibility and connectivity between key areas of Metro Manila and the northern provinces of Luzon via NLEX.

The 5.65-kilometer, six-lane NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 will traverse the cities of Valenzuela, Malabon and Caloocan, cutting travel time between C3 and NLEX to five minutes.

The elevated expressway is seen to ease traffic bottlenecks as it diverts 30,000 vehicles daily from the busy streets of Metro Manila.

It will also facilitate efficient delivery of goods, as cargo trucks will have alternative access from the Port Area to provinces in northern Luzon and vice versa.

The next phase of the project is a 2.6-km section from C3 Road, Caloocan City to R10, Navotas City.

Simultaneous with the full opening of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 last week was the commencement of the two-year construction of the P23.3-billion NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project, an eight-kilometer all-elevated highway along the PNR extending the NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 in C3/5th Avenue, Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila.

NLEX earlier said it is gearing up to finish a number of big-ticket projects this year following the completion of more than 20 projects last year.

Among the projects expected to be completed this year are the additional toll lanes in San Fernando, Mexico and Angeles and the expanded connecting ramps of NLEX-SCTEX, the new NLEX drive-and-dine service facility.