Will highways be inaccessible without ETC in the future?

[AndersonFitz]

In the future, highways will support both ETC and manual toll collection. The government promotes ETC for advocacy and support purposes but does not mandate it. Vehicle owners can voluntarily apply for ETC. ETC (Electronic Toll Collection): A system for automatic toll collection on highways or bridges. It utilizes computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, allowing vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping to pay highway or bridge fees. ETC's deduction principle: Highways will have one or more ETC lanes. Communication between the vehicle's on-board electronic tag (installed on the windshield) and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane enables backend settlement via computer networking with banks. This achieves the goal of vehicles passing through toll stations without stopping to pay fees, all based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and eco-friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by eliminating stops at toll stations, lowering pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing frequent starts and stops, reducing vehicle wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase traffic efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Integrated Transportation System" explicitly states the goal of "achieving interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters by 2020 and significantly increasing the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC." It also sets the target of "reaching a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020" in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development plan. More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC adoption for trucks. Future plans include exploring deeper integration of ETC systems with 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.

[SanMorgan]

The current situation at highway entrances is that with the widespread promotion of ETC, manual toll lanes have been reduced or become very congested in many places. I remember before ETC was available, every time I entered the highway, I had to wait in long queues. Now, with ETC installed, passing through toll stations is almost seamless, saving a lot of time. According to information from a friend in the transportation department, future policies may continue to favor ETC, such as some highway sections possibly retaining only a few manual lanes or even giving priority to ETC during peak hours. However, it’s not that you can’t enter the highway at all without ETC, but you might end up waiting in a manual lane for over half an hour, especially during holidays, which is even worse. So, I suggest everyone get an ETC device as soon as possible. It’s easy to install and can help avoid wasting fuel and energy, benefiting both yourself and others.

[VonMiles]

I don't think it's impossible to get on the highway without ETC, as manual lanes still exist, though they're becoming fewer. My driving friends often tell me that at highway entrances, manual toll lanes often have long queues, especially during peak hours, where waiting for twenty minutes is common. With ETC, you can drive straight through—it's faster and more environmentally friendly by reducing pollution from idling vehicles. In the long run, the government encourages ETC mainly to improve traffic efficiency, reduce congestion risks, and also effectively cut carbon emissions. If you insist on using cash or scanning QR codes, it's not a big problem, but you'll eventually face longer waiting times. I suggest everyone take a rational view and adapt to new technology, rather than waiting until the trouble becomes too great to act.