Can I get on the highway without ETC now?
3 Answers
It is possible to get on the highway without ETC. According to Article 19 of the "Notice on Vigorously Promoting the Development and Application of ETC on Highways" issued by the State Council, vehicles that have not applied for ETC by 2020 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 channel. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on the highway immediately; they need to be activated before normal use. 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. The principle of ETC charging: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the highway. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle-mounted electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, the computer network technology is used to settle accounts with the bank, achieving the purpose of vehicles not needing to stop at toll stations to pay road and bridge fees. All of this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of installing ETC: Save time: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and environmentally friendly: Low-carbon, vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduce wear and tear: Saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, and lowers wear and fuel consumption; Improve 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 Comprehensive 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 "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators that "by 2020, the ETC usage rate of road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC usage rate of passenger vehicles, the future will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-road coordination, and other smart transportation development directions, providing car owners with comprehensive travel services. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications.
I've been a driver for over 20 years, let me tell you there's no need to panic about getting on the highway. Even without ETC, there are manual toll lanes at highway entrances where you can pay with cash, bank cards, or mobile payments. However, ETC is now encouraged as it offers a 5% discount, saving you some toll fees and reducing queuing time. I remember once when I went on a trip during peak hours, I waited in line at the manual lane for half an hour while cars zoomed past in the ETC lane next to me - I really regretted not having it then. Later I got ETC installed for free through my bank - it was done in no time. In short, you can still drive without ETC, but having one saves a lot of hassle, especially for long trips where you don't want to waste time. I suggest getting it installed sooner rather than later - it's more convenient and worry-free.
As an older person, I'm used to traditional methods, and I can tell you it's fine. Before ETC was available, I still took the highway using manual lanes, slowly taking out cash to pay, and the staff were always helpful. But now with ETC becoming widespread, manual lanes have been significantly reduced, and situations arise where you can't find a toll booth on the highway. Like my relative last year, who didn’t have ETC and had to drive far to find a toll gate. The benefit of ETC is that once installed, it automatically deducts fees without any hassle, saving you from queuing. However, for temporary use, paying with cash or scanning a QR code can also work, so don’t worry about not being able to access the highway. I suggest checking the highway policies before your trip. The government is now pushing for full ETC coverage, so installing one is more reliable to avoid delaying your journey.
