The days of travelling through the Clarendon to Manchester toll for free are officially over…. Womp, womp, womp.

So I’ve got some bad news for motorists like me, who’ve gotten used to using the May Pen to Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000 for free.

Cabinet has finally awarded the concession to operate that part of the toll road to TransJamaican Highway.  They plan to start charging as early as mid-August. 

TJH already operates the Portmore, Caymanas, and Sandy Bay legs of the highway.

TJH has reportedly offered the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited (NROCC) US$20.3 million for the operating licence. 

NROCC is the company that oversaw the construction of the highway.  But based on TJH’s previous deals with the Government, they had first right of refusal over this newest section of the road.

Now the government has already approved the offer and all that’s left is for TJH and NROCC to finalise the contract, which will reportedly last until 2036.

With that hefty bill to pay back, toll fares are coming any minute now. According to TJH Managing Director Ivan Anderson, the new toll point is expected to open in August.  

Commuters have been using that toll for free since it was opened last September.  

So how much will the toll cost?… I’m not sure. 

When Anderson, was on Taking Stock in 2022 he said that the fare would be less than J$500. 

But that was two years ago. And inflation has been inflationing since then. TJH has even raised the toll on its existing highways multiple times since then. On the flip side, this is good news for TJH investors. 

At the company’s AGM, Anderson said they made 24 million US dollars in profit for the last financial year.  That’s the highest in the company’s 23 years. 

The stock, which is one of the most consistently traded, closed at $3.08 on July 19. 

So it’ll be interesting to see how much they end up charging for this new leg and how it will impact their financials.

And that’s the bottom line.