Can vehicles without ETC still access highways now?
2 Answers
Vehicles without ETC can still use manual lanes to enter highways. According to State Council regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will remain at highway toll stations, requiring payment through manual channels. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used immediately on highways—they must first be activated. During holiday free-toll periods, vehicles can still access highways. For users with activated ETC, passing through ETC lanes during these periods will not incur charges. ETC deduction principles: Highways feature one or multiple ETC lanes. Using dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's windshield-mounted electronic tag and the toll station's microwave antenna, the system performs backend settlement with banks through computer networking technology. This achieves non-stop toll payment at highway and bridge checkpoints, operating on a "pass first, deduct later" principle. Benefits of installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates queuing wait times; Eco-friendly: Supports green, low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions through non-stop toll collection; Cost-efficient: Saves fuel and reduces vehicle wear by minimizing frequent starts and stops; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes theoretically increase throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC systems faster and more technologically advanced. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. Policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for Modern Comprehensive Transportation System Development" explicitly states goals to "achieve intercity transportation card interoperability in key city clusters by 2020" and "significantly increase ETC adoption rates," with specific targets including "50% ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles by 2020" in major transportation development indicators. Future potential: Beyond improving ETC installation convenience and passenger vehicle adoption rates, future initiatives will promote ETC use for trucks and explore deeper integration with smart transportation systems like vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, indicating broader application scenarios for ETC technology.
Sure, I don't have ETC installed either, and I just drove on the highway last week. Manual lanes are still open—just take a pass card at the entrance. At the exit, you can pay with cash, WeChat, or Alipay. However, be mindful during holidays as manual lanes might have long queues; once I waited over twenty minutes at a toll station. Also, after some provincial border toll stations were removed, manual lanes became fewer, so it's advisable to check your route in advance. If you don't drive on highways often, there's really no need to install ETC, but frequent drivers should get one for faster passage and a 5% discount. By the way, green channel trucks must still use manual lanes for inspection—that rule hasn't changed.
