It is acceptable to install ETC without using it. According to Article 9 of the "Notice on Vigorously Promoting the Development and Application of ETC on Expressways" issued by the State Council, vehicles that have not applied for or do not use ETC by 2020 will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, expressway toll stations will retain only one manual lane, requiring vehicles to pay tolls through manual channels. ETC Working Principle: Through the 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, the system uses computer networking technology to perform backend settlement processing with banks. This allows vehicles to pass through expressway or bridge toll stations without stopping while paying the required fees. ETC Fee Deduction Principle: The toll amount for ETC vehicles is rounded using the "round down if less than 0.5, no change if equal to or greater than 0.5" method (i.e., amounts with a decimal less than 0.5 are rounded down, while those equal to or greater than 0.5 remain unchanged). After applying a 5% discount, the amount is then rounded to the nearest cent. MTC vehicles still follow the "round to the nearest yuan" rule. 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 queues; Green and eco-friendly: Promotes low-carbon travel by allowing vehicles to pass toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: Theoretically, ETC lanes can increase 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 explicitly 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 set a clear target in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators: "By 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles should 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 be made to promote ETC usage for trucks. There will also be exploration into deeper integration between the ETC system and smart transportation 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 usage in the future.
