Can't Get on the Highway Without ETC?
1 Answers
It is possible to get on the highway without ETC. According to the State Council's regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC 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 manual channels. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used immediately on the highway; they need to 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. The principles of ETC toll deduction: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the highway. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, and by using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, the system achieves the goal of vehicles paying tolls without stopping at the bridge or highway toll stations. 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 passing through toll stations without stopping can reduce noise and exhaust emissions, minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: Theoretically, ETC lanes can improve vehicle passing efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC more updated, faster, and higher-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 smart 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, the future will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications.
