Is ETC Mandatory to Install?
3 Answers
It is not mandatory. 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, requiring payment via the manual channel. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used immediately on highways; they must be activated first. During holiday free-toll periods, ETC users can still use highways, and passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges for already activated ETC users. ETC Billing Principle: Highways will have one or more ETC lanes. Through microwave-dedicated short-range communication between the vehicle's electronic tag (installed on the windshield) and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, the system uses computer networking technology to settle payments with banks in the background. This allows vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at toll booths, 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: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by enabling vehicles to pass toll stations without stopping, lowering pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing frequent starts and stops, reducing vehicle wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase traffic efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology 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 city 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" in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development plan. More future possibilities: Beyond improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC adoption for trucks. Future plans include exploring 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.
I've been driving for over a decade and frequently travel on highways. Before installing ETC, it was pure agony - queuing for over ten minutes at every toll booth, especially during holidays when the line wouldn't budge, wasting time and causing frustration. After getting ETC, zipping through the gate is lightning fast - totally worth the time and energy saved. Installation was simple, the bank provided it for free and it only took half an hour; maintenance is effortless too, just occasionally wiping the sensor. While nobody penalizes you for not having it, it's really not worth it: you don't save on toll fees, queuing ruins your mood, and missing out on promotions is even more costly. With ETC becoming increasingly common and smart cars now enabling automatic billing, the experience is ultra-smooth. I recommend getting it installed early for more pleasant driving. Just do regular checks on the battery and connections - no major issues.
From an energy-saving perspective, I'm quite concerned about the environmental impact of vehicles. ETC is definitely beneficial: it reduces the time cars spend idling in queues at toll booths, saving fuel and lowering emissions, which helps improve urban air quality. Installation isn't mandatory, no one is forcing you, but think about it—besides making your driving experience easier, you're also contributing a bit to environmental protection, killing two birds with one stone. The cost isn't high either, as most banks offer free installation, and in the long run, the savings on gasoline will cover the initial expense. Without ETC, you'd have to pay manually, sometimes forgetting your card or change, just wasting time. I recommend keeping an ETC device in your car, especially for long-distance trips, as it enhances the overall driving experience.
