It is possible to apply for ETC even if you are not the vehicle owner. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Expressways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the following documents are required: the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (with the page showing the latest annual inspection stamp). If applying on behalf of someone else, 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 portion of the amount as a security deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. Documents required for company vehicles: An introduction letter from the vehicle owner (with official seal); a copy of the organization code certificate or business license (with official seal); the original ID card of the agent; the original vehicle registration certificate; the vehicle for which ETC is to be applied. ETC billing principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on expressways. Through 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 at the toll station, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with the bank, the purpose of paying tolls without stopping at the toll station is achieved. All of this is based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later". Benefits of installing ETC: Time-saving: eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and environmentally friendly: reduces noise and exhaust emissions by eliminating the need for vehicles to stop at toll stations; Reduces wear and tear: saves costs by reducing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, thereby lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improves 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 clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased." It also explicitly set the goal of "achieving a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020" in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development. More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the usage rate of ETC passenger vehicles, efforts will also be made to promote the use of ETC by trucks in the future. There will be exploration of deep integration between the ETC system and 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 vehicle in front that has stopped, to prevent the ETC device of the vehicle in front from malfunctioning or not having an ETC device at all, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters from the vehicle in front to avoid automatic sensing and paying for the vehicle in front. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, which will also lead to billing failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the expressway service office for testing. If the loosening or detachment is not caused by human factors, it only needs to be reactivated. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause billing 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 may 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.
