Can a Mortgaged Vehicle Apply for ETC?
1 Answers
Mortgaged vehicles are eligible for ETC application. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the following documents are required: the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (showing the most recent annual inspection stamp page). If applying on behalf of someone else, the original valid ID card and a copy of the proxy are also required. If applying for ETC through major bank branches, a debit or credit card from the corresponding bank is needed. Some banks only support credit card binding for ETC services, while others may require freezing a portion of the amount as a deposit when binding a debit card. ETC Deduction Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. 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, vehicles can pass through toll stations without stopping to pay tolls. This is based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues. Green and eco-friendly: Promotes low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions as vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping. Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing frequent starts and brakes, thereby reducing vehicle wear and fuel consumption. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC systems 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 Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, intercity transportation cards should be widely used in key city clusters, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC should significantly increase." The plan also sets a target of "achieving a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." Future possibilities: In addition to improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, future efforts will focus on promoting ETC for trucks and exploring deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and other smart transportation developments. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC Usage Notes: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle in front stops, maintain a distance of over 10 meters to prevent automatic payment for the preceding vehicle in case its ETC device is faulty or absent. The recognized speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. Speeding may result in failed reading of vehicle device information and deduction failures. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment/loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will render the tag invalid. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or a highway service office for inspection. Non-deliberate detachment or loosening only requires reactivation. Insufficient balance on a debit card bound to ETC may cause deduction failures. Follow on-site staff guidance to use manual MTC lanes and pay via cash or card. Excessively thick windshields may cause poor sensing, especially for vehicles with replaced or modified windshields after accidents.
