NLEX Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), is gearing up for a busier year as it anticipates a five to seven-percent increase in traffic volume. The company expects the surge to surpass last year’s growth, driven by heightened mobility for election-related activities.

In an interview with reporters, NLEX officer-in-charge Maria Theresa Wells said the company expects the midterm elections to provide an additional boost across its road networks. As such, daily traffic is projected to reach around 370,000 vehicles by yearend.

“Elections are good for business. Throughout our history, we’d seen that every time there was an election, there was an upside in growth. A seven to eight-percent growth rate this year includes the election-related upside,” Wells said.

“Starting in 2023 and 2024, we were no longer seeing the double-digit traffic growth of previous years. A five to seven-percent growth rate is the likely scenario for the year,” she said.

Last year, NLEX saw around four to five-percent traffic growth as post-pandemic mobility surges slowed.

Meanwhile, newly appointed MPTC president Jose Ma. K. Lim said evolving work and commuting patterns have also influenced traffic volume.

“We are also affected by work-from-home arrangements. Some companies allow working from home, and Covid changed the way people travel. A lot of people who used to take public transport have bought motorcycles or found more convenient places to work closer to home,” Lim said.

Smaller motorcycles, with engines below 400cc in displacement, are not allowed on the tollways.

“So there is less travel involved, and I think that has something to do with the traffic patterns that are affecting our overall volumes,” Lim added.