Can I drive on the highway without an ETC card?
1 Answers
It is possible to drive on the highway without an ETC card. According to regulations from the State Council, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, highway toll stations will retain only one manual lane, requiring drivers to pay tolls manually. 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 users with activated ETC, passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC Billing Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Using dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's on-board electronic tag (installed on the windshield) and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, the system connects with banking networks for backend settlement. This allows vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping, 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: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by avoiding stops at toll stations. Cost-saving: Lowers vehicle wear and fuel consumption by reducing frequent starts and stops. Users also enjoy a 5% toll discount. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically process vehicles 2-3 times faster, making the system more advanced and high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Integrated Transportation System" explicitly states the goal of "achieving intercity transportation card interoperability in key city clusters by 2020 and significantly increasing ETC adoption rates." It also sets a target of "50% ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles by 2020." Future possibilities: Beyond improving ETC convenience and passenger vehicle adoption, future efforts will focus on promoting ETC for trucks and integrating ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and smart transportation developments. This will provide comprehensive travel services for drivers, expanding ETC application scenarios.
