Can the ETC card be removed at will?
1 Answers
The ETC card can be removed, but the ETC device will not function without it. According to the "Rules for the Use of the Non-Stop Rapid Transit System," the ETC card must be inserted into the OBU device to operate normally; otherwise, user information cannot be read. If the card is removed, you can use the manual lane and have the staff swipe the card. When the ETC card is inserted into the OBU device, a prompt sound will indicate that the device is activated. Without the card, the device remains in a dormant state and cannot recognize vehicle information at toll stations, so removing the card disables ETC functionality. ETC is an electronic toll collection system, also known as an automatic road toll system. It is specifically designed for toll roads, commonly found on highways, toll bridges or tunnels, and certain urban road sections to alleviate traffic congestion. ETC Deduction Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's windshield-mounted electronic tag and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, the system connects with banking networks for backend settlement, allowing vehicles to pass toll stations without stopping. This operates on a "pass first, deduct later" principle. Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues; Green and eco-friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by eliminating stops at toll booths; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing frequent starts and stops, lowering vehicle wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase traffic flow by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster and more 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 interoperability of transportation smart cards in key urban clusters by 2020 and significantly increasing the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC." It also sets a target of "50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." Future possibilities: Beyond improving ETC installation convenience and passenger vehicle usage rates, future efforts will promote ETC adoption for trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and other smart transportation developments, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC usage.