Can You Drive on Highways Without ETC in 2020?

[StEmery]

It is possible to drive on highways without ETC. According to the regulations of the State Council, vehicles without ETC in 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 manual channels. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used immediately on highways; they must be activated first. During free holiday periods, highways can still be used. 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 highways. 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, background settlement is achieved via computer networking technology with banks. This allows vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at the toll station, all based on the principle of 'pass first, deduct later.' Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues; Green and eco-friendly: Promotes low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions as vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping; Cost-saving: Reduces vehicle wear and fuel consumption by minimizing the frequency of starts and brakes, and users can enjoy a 5% discount on tolls; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council explicitly stated in the '13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Integrated 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 significantly increase.' The plan also sets a target of 'achieving a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020' in the main indicators of comprehensive transportation development during the '13th Five-Year Plan' period. More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and the usage rate of ETC passenger vehicles, the future will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore deep integration between the ETC system and smart transportation directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination. This will provide car owners with comprehensive travel services, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC applications.

[LeAllie]

I've been driving on highways for many years. Back in 2020, vehicles without ETC could still access highways without issues. Toll stations always had dedicated manual payment lanes for drivers using cash or mobile payments. At that time, the government was actively promoting ETC installation, offering automatic fee deduction and discounts with an OBU device, which reduced queuing time. I quickly installed one for convenience. However, if you find it troublesome and choose not to install ETC, you can still enter highways—just expect longer queues at manual lanes. I'd recommend considering ETC installation, as many places have reduced manual lanes after the ETC promotion. But in 2020, there was certainly no highway closure. From my personal experience, the choice for highway travel remained unaffected—just with slightly reduced convenience.

[AriannaLee]

The promotion of ETC in 2020 was not intended to prohibit non-ETC vehicles from entering highways, but to improve traffic efficiency. Vehicle owners without ETC can still use manual toll lanes, as clearly stated in official announcements. However, during the promotion period, the number of manual lanes was reduced while ETC-exclusive lanes were increased, leading to higher congestion risks for non-ETC users. As an ordinary car owner who pays attention to policy changes, I believe installing ETC early can save time and money while enjoying the benefits of fast lanes. Even after ETC became widespread, manual options did not disappear. Therefore, in 2020, vehicles without ETC could still access highways. Don't be misled by rumors—the policy aims to optimize services rather than create obstacles.

[NovaLee]

Hi, before I installed the ETC in 2020, I often took the highway without any issues using the manual toll lanes. But after getting it, passing through toll stations became super fast with automatic deductions, which was great. That year, the government heavily promoted ETC, saying it could reduce congestion and offer discounts, so I gave it a try. If you don't have ETC, you can still drive onto the highway by paying cash or scanning a code, but the queues might be longer. I recommend getting an OBU early to save trouble. The highway access policy hasn't changed—non-ETC vehicles can still use manual lanes, it's just less convenient.