KINGSTON, Jamaica — TransJamaican Highway Limited (TJH), the operator of Jamaica’s key highway concessions, has kicked off 2026 with standout financial performance, posting double-digit growth across all core revenue and profitability metrics while advancing its digital transformation of toll collection across its entire network.
In an official press statement released Tuesday, the infrastructure firm announced unaudited first-quarter results ending March 31, 2026, that far outpace year-ago performance. Total revenue for the quarter hit US$29 million, marking a 29% jump compared to the same three-month period in 2025. Net profit surged 46% year-over-year to reach US$13.2 million, with earnings per share climbing the same 46% to US$0.00106 per unit. Even earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) — a key metric for measuring operating cash flow in infrastructure concessions — rose 31% to US$23.7 million, confirming the resilience and strength of TJH’s public-private concession operating model.
Beyond top and bottom-line growth, the company closed the quarter with a solidified balance sheet. Its debt service coverage ratio, a key indicator of financial health for debt-heavy infrastructure firms, improved to 3.43 times, a figure that well exceeds typical industry benchmarks. TJH officials emphasized that this strong ratio confirms the company’s ability to easily meet its ongoing debt obligations while still allocating capital to critical infrastructure upgrades, technological enhancements, operational overhauls, and consistent returns to shareholders.
In a move that underscores the board’s confidence in the company’s trajectory, directors approved an interim cash dividend of US$13 million, which was distributed to eligible shareholders in April 2026. This payout represents a roughly 30% increase compared to the interim dividend issued in the same period last year, delivering immediate tangible value to investors.
One of the company’s key ongoing strategic initiatives — expanding adoption of its contactless T-Tag electronic tolling system — also hit major milestones in the first quarter. Data from TJH shows that 54% of all motorists using its highway network now opt for T-Tag electronic payment, with peak-hour usage on the high-traffic Portmore Toll Road climbing to nearly 80%. The widespread shift away from cash and manual toll collection has delivered measurable improvements to traffic flow and driver convenience across the network, the company reported.
Even as overall vehicle volumes on TJH highways have risen over the past three years, the company recorded roughly 2.2 million fewer vehicle transactions through manual toll lanes in that period. This reduction in manual lane activity has directly cut down on bottlenecks and reduced average travel times for all motorists, according to the company’s internal analysis.
“The ongoing shift to electronic toll collection has dramatically boosted our operational efficiency while creating a safer, faster journey for everyone who uses our highway network,” said Ivan Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of TransJam Group, TJH’s parent company. “We’re now seeing faster vehicle throughput at every toll plaza, shorter wait times for drivers, more streamlined internal operations, and a noticeably better overall travel experience for our customers.”
Anderson added that TJH will continue pouring investment into information technology upgrades, expanded digital payment options, optimized toll lane configurations, and customer service improvements to modernize the tolling experience and meet growing transportation demands across Jamaica. The company also noted that it has fully integrated the new May Pen to Williamsfield (Phase 1C) highway segment into its network operations, a project that has already boosted overall revenue generation and extended TJH’s strategic reach across the island.
Looking forward to the remainder of 2026 and beyond, Anderson said the group is well positioned to sustain its growth trajectory, supported by consistent operating cash flows, steadily rising traffic demand, growing electronic toll adoption, disciplined capital allocation strategies, and ongoing debt reduction efforts.
“As we continue to scale our operations and expand our network, our core focus remains unchanged: we are committed to delivering long-term value to our shareholders while continuously improving efficiency, convenience, and the overall travel experience for the thousands of Jamaicans who rely on our highways every single day,” Anderson noted.