Is ETC free on highways?

[IsabellaLee]

ETC is free on highways during holidays, and offers certain discounts at other times. According to State Council regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC cannot 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 lanes. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on highways immediately; they need to be activated before normal use. Users can also enjoy a 5% discount on tolls (discounts may vary by bank). For vehicles already equipped with ETC, passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. Notes: Entering and exiting through ETC lanes will not incur charges. Entering through an ETC lane and exiting through a manual lane allows normal passage without charges, but note that this does not form a complete transaction record, which may affect normal highway passage next time. Entering and exiting through manual lanes will not incur charges. If entering through a manual lane and attempting to exit through an ETC lane, the exit barrier will not lift due to the lack of entry information. In this case, you can choose to exit through a manual lane. ETC charging principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, vehicles can pay tolls without stopping at 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: Promotes low-carbon travel, as vehicles pass toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, and lowers wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: Theoretically, ETC lanes can 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 Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, key city clusters will basically achieve interoperability of transportation smart cards, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will significantly increase." It also set a clear target in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators: "By 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and increasing the ETC adoption rate for passenger vehicles, efforts will also be made to promote ETC usage for trucks in the future.