Must the ETC applicant be the vehicle owner?

[Athena]

It is not mandatory for the vehicle owner to apply for ETC. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application Service of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Expressways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and photocopy of the vehicle license, and the page of the vehicle license with the latest annual inspection stamp are required. If applying on behalf of others, the original valid ID card of the agent is also required. If applying for ETC through major bank branches, a debit card or credit card from the corresponding bank must be prepared. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a certain amount as a deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. ETC charging principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the expressway. Through the dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with the bank, the vehicle can pay the toll without stopping at the toll station. 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: Low-carbon, as vehicles pass through the toll station without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by reducing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: The theoretical efficiency of ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC updates 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 urban agglomerations will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased." It also set the target in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development 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, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a stationary vehicle ahead, to prevent the ETC device failure of the vehicle ahead or the absence of an ETC device, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters to avoid automatic sensing and paying for the vehicle ahead. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, leading to charging failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, etc., will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the highway service office for testing. For non-human-caused loosening or detachment, reactivation is sufficient. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause charging failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pass by cash or card. Excessive thickness of the car windshield can cause poor sensing. This is especially important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those who have modified their front windshields.