What does it mean to apply for ETC for a car?
2 Answers
Applying for ETC for a car means enabling the vehicle to enjoy ETC services when passing through highways. ETC stands for Electronic Toll Collection in Chinese, which is currently the most advanced toll collection method for roads and bridges in the world. ETC utilizes dedicated short-range communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at toll stations. It employs computer networking technology to process backend settlements with banks, allowing vehicles to pay highway or bridge tolls without stopping when passing through toll stations. The fully automatic electronic toll collection system (ETC) is one of the service functions of the intelligent transportation system. It is particularly suitable for use on highways or in busy bridge and tunnel environments. Currently, there are dedicated ETC toll lanes at highway toll stations. Vehicle owners only need to install a sensor card on the windshield and preload funds. When passing through toll stations, there is no need for manual payment or stopping; the toll is automatically deducted from the card, enabling automatic toll collection. This toll collection system takes less than two seconds per vehicle, and its toll lane capacity is 5 to 10 times that of manual toll lanes. Using the fully automatic electronic toll collection system can make highway toll collection paperless and cashless, fundamentally eliminating the loss of toll revenue and solving financial management chaos in highway toll collection. Additionally, implementing the fully automatic electronic toll collection system can save on infrastructure and management costs. Documents required to apply for ETC: The vehicle owner's original valid ID card, the original vehicle registration certificate and its copy (the page with the most recent annual inspection stamp must be provided). If applying on behalf of someone else, the original valid ID card of the proxy is also required. If applying through major bank branches, a debit 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 deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. Benefits of installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues; Green and eco-friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by allowing vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping, thereby minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and stops, reducing wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: Theoretically, ETC lanes can increase vehicle passing efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, 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, intercity transportation smart cards will be basically interoperable in key urban clusters, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will significantly increase." It also set a 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 usage rate for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC usage for trucks in the future. There will also be exploration into the deep integration of the ETC system with smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC usage. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. When the vehicle in front stops, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters to prevent automatic sensing and payment for the vehicle in front, in case its ETC device is faulty or nonexistent. The recognized speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, leading to toll deduction failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will render the electronic tag invalid. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or to a highway service office for inspection. If the detachment or loosening is not due to human intervention, reactivation is sufficient. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause toll deduction failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pay with cash or by swiping a card. If the car's windshield is too thick, it may cause poor sensing. This is particularly important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those who have modified their front windshields.
Ah, I'm so familiar with the ETC application process! It's essentially installing a small electronic toll collection box in your car, allowing you to pass through highway toll stations without stopping to take a ticket or pay—the barrier automatically lifts to let you through. Last week, I went to the bank and got one for free. It only took ten minutes with my ID card, vehicle registration, and bank card. The staff attached the credit-card-sized device to the front windshield and linked it to WeChat for automatic fee deduction. Now, long-distance drives are much smoother, with significantly fewer queues at toll stations, especially during holidays. I heard you can also apply online now and have it delivered to your home for self-installation. Banks are even competing to attract customers by offering fuel card discounts.
