Is it necessary to install ETC now?

[LePreston]

It is necessary to apply for 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 lanes. Additionally, newly installed ETC cannot be used on highways immediately; the ETC device must be activated before normal use. 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 microwave dedicated short-range communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, the purpose of paying highway tolls without stopping at toll stations is achieved. 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 queuing and waiting; Green and environmentally friendly: Green and low-carbon, vehicles passing through toll stations without stopping can reduce noise and exhaust emissions, minimizing pollution; Cost-saving: Reduces expenses, decreases the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowers wear and fuel consumption, and users can also enjoy a 5% discount on tolls; Efficiency improvement: Theoretically, ETC lanes can improve vehicle passing efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC more updated, faster, and more high-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 be significantly increased." It also explicitly set the goal in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development plan that "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 the ETC usage rate for 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, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications.