Is ETC Mandatory on Highways?

[Candice]

ETC is not mandatory. Vehicles without ETC can use manual lanes. According to Article 19 of the "Notice on Vigorously Promoting the Development and Application of ETC on Highways" issued by the State Council, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will remain 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 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 Billing Principle: Highways will have one or more ETC lanes. 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 at the toll station, computer networking technology is used to settle accounts with banks in the background. This achieves the goal of vehicles not needing to stop at toll stations to pay bridge and road fees, all based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of Installing ETC: Save Time: 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; Reduce Wear and Tear: Saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improve Efficiency: The efficiency of passing through ETC lanes can theoretically increase 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 cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will significantly increase." 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 usage rate of ETC 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-road coordination. This will provide car owners with comprehensive travel services, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC applications.