Can I drive on the highway without ETC in 2021?

[OLouis]

It is possible to drive on the highway without ETC. According to the regulations of the State Council, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC cannot enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will be retained at highway toll stations, and tolls can only be paid through manual channels. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on the highway immediately; they must be activated first. During free holiday periods, vehicles can still use the highway. For users who have already installed ETC, passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC charging principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the highway. Through microwave dedicated short-range communication between the vehicle's 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, the purpose of paying tolls without stopping at road and bridge toll stations is achieved. 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: Green and low-carbon, vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions, thereby decreasing pollution; Cost-saving: Reduces expenses, decreases the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, and lowers wear and fuel consumption. Improved efficiency: The theoretical efficiency of ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC updates 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 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 be significantly increased." It also explicitly set the goal in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development plan to "achieve a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC usage for trucks in the future. There will also be exploration of deep integration between ETC systems and smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications.

[DeAugust]

Last year when I was driving on the highway, I specifically checked this policy. In 2021, you could still access the highway without an ETC. All highway entrances nationwide retained manual toll lanes, those marked with green signs as MTC lanes. You just drive up, take a paper toll card, and pay by mileage when exiting the highway. However, during holiday peak periods, manual lanes often have queues lasting over half an hour, while ETC lanes let you zip right through. Last time I drove a friend’s car without ETC, the congestion at the provincial border toll station was exhausting. I’d recommend frequent highway drivers to get an ETC for convenience—banks now offer free installation and discounts.

[Whitney]

As a long-haul truck driver, I can definitively tell you that you can still access highways without an ETC. One vehicle in our fleet has been operating normally despite equipment failure - just enter through the far-right lane to collect a toll card and pay with cash upon exit. However, be aware of three special circumstances: 1) After the removal of provincial border toll stations in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions, manual lanes may be reduced; 2) Some newly built toll stations have completely eliminated manual payment windows, requiring detours; 3) During 2021, pandemic inspection stations were often combined with manual lanes, resulting in longer queues. It's advisable to check real-time lane availability via the 'China ETC Service' mini-program to avoid being stuck on the road.