Can car owners choose not to install ETC?
2 Answers
Yes, it is possible, but car owners are encouraged to install ETC. According to the regulations of the State Council, vehicles without ETC installed by 2020 will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will remain at highway toll stations, and tolls can only be paid through manual lanes. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on highways immediately; they need to be activated first. During free holiday periods, vehicles with ETC can still use highways, and no fees will be deducted when passing through ETC lanes. ETC Billing Principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle-mounted electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, vehicles can pay tolls without stopping at the toll station. All this is based on the principle of 'pass first, deduct later.' Benefits of Installing ETC: Save Time: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues; Green and Eco-Friendly: Promotes green and low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions since vehicles do not need to stop at toll stations; Reduce Wear and Tear: Saves costs by minimizing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, thereby reducing wear and fuel consumption; Improve Efficiency: The efficiency of ETC lanes can theoretically increase by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC systems more updated, faster, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More Policy Support: The State Council clearly 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.' It also set a target in the '13th Five-Year Plan' for comprehensive transportation development: 'By 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles should reach 50%.' More Future Possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC usage for trucks in the future. There will also be exploration into deeper integration of ETC systems with smart transportation developments such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, providing car owners with comprehensive travel services. This means more application scenarios will support ETC usage.
As someone who frequently drives long distances, I used to get headaches at highway toll stations before installing ETC. Paying in cash took time waiting in line, and the efficiency was too low. With ETC automatic deduction, it saves a lot of effort, and there are also discounts, such as 5% off, which can save hundreds of dollars over time. It's completely legal not to apply for ETC—you can pay with cash or a bank card—but during peak hours, especially on holidays when there are more travelers, long queues can easily cause delays. The ETC device is installed for free, and you just need to link it to a bank card—simple and fast. I recommend giving it a try, as technology makes life more convenient. If you don't apply, you might miss out on these benefits, but ultimately, it's a personal choice depending on how often you use the highway.
