Can a car without ETC get on the highway?

[McJames]

Vehicles without ETC can use the manual lane to enter the highway. According to the State Council's regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will be retained at highway toll stations, and tolls can only be paid through the manual lane. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used immediately on the highway; they must be activated first. During free holiday periods, vehicles can still use the highway. For vehicles already equipped with ETC, passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC Billing Principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the highway. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, the system achieves the purpose of allowing vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping to pay tolls. All of this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and eco-friendly: Low-carbon, as vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions, thereby minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and stops, reducing wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: Theoretically, ETC lanes can increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC more advanced, faster, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Integrated Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will significantly increase." It also set a clear target in the main indicators of comprehensive transportation development during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period: "By 2020, the ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles on roads should reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and increasing the ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles, efforts will also be made to promote ETC usage for trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC usage.

[AbelDella]

I used to struggle with this issue too. Actually, you can still drive on highways without an ETC device. All highway toll stations have manual lanes where you can just drive up and take a ticket. However, I remember one weekend when I was rushing back to my hometown and had to queue for half an hour at the manual booth. Getting stuck at toll stations during holidays is the most frustrating thing, especially when you see ETC vehicles zooming past in the next lane. My suggestion is: if you frequently use highways, just get one installed. Nowadays banks basically offer free ETC registration, and you can link it to either a debit or credit card to enjoy a 5% toll discount. Don't be like my friend who hesitated to get one, only to find out later that his annual fuel card savings were less than what ETC could have saved him. By the way, if you're taking a temporary highway trip, don't worry - just prepare some spare change or activate mobile payment, as most toll stations now have QR code scanners.

[SanJanelle]

I've been driving trucks for over a decade, and non-ETC trucks run on highways every day. The rightmost lane at toll stations is the manual lane—just roll down your window, take the toll card, and tell the cashier your destination. But let me warn you: if you lose the toll card when exiting the highway, you'll have to pay the maximum distance toll. Once, a rookie I was hauling goods with dropped the card into the seat gap and ended up paying over 60 bucks extra for nothing. Nowadays, highways promote contactless payment, but without ETC, you're still two to three times slower than the next lane, especially during evening rush hours. So for long hauls, getting an ETC is totally worth it—I saved nearly two grand in tolls last year.

[Claire]

We private car owners have all been through this phase. Not having an ETC device doesn't really prevent you from using highways, but you need to do three things: enter through lanes marked "Manual" or "Toll" to get a card; keep that thin card safe throughout your journey; and exit through manual lanes to pay with cash or scan a QR code. That said, even rural banks can now install ETC devices these days, and it only takes five minutes. I personally appreciate how it automatically lifts the barrier, so I don't have to reach out and open the window in rain or snow. Last week, a colleague without ETC got stuck in traffic, and their engine started and stopped eight times, driving up fuel consumption. When considering overall costs, ETC is the smarter choice.