Fast lane taking less of a toll

Beijing is hoping twice as many people will use the through lane on expressways to bypass toll gates this year, saving time for drivers and increasing efficiency for the company that manages the roads.

By February, 154,000 Beijing drivers had signed up for the ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) system, fitting tags to their vehicles that allow them to pay motorway tolls without stopping, the Beijing Capital Highway Development Co Ltd said.

Vehicles with the tags only take about three seconds to pass a toll payment point in the ETC lane, where there is rarely a queue.

The company said in a written reply to METRO that it hopes 300,000 drivers will be subscribers to the system this year.

The Beijing Capital Highway Development Co Ltd said there are 237 ETC lanes in the capital, throughout the urban area that cover 72 percent of toll gates in the city.

Beijing Capital Highway Development Company will finish the construction of another 127 lanes this year, guaranteeing at least one special ETC lane at every toll gate.

"I have used ETC for a year. It is very convenient and saves me lots of time. I am satisfied with it," said He Yuejuan, a manager at an export company who was topping her card up at the Baliqiao branch of Quick Pass Company.

She said she needed to travel to the airport frequently and enjoyed not having to wait at the toll gates to pay to use the road.

An ETC tag costs 450 yuan and cannot be shared between cars. Users get a 5 percent discount on their toll payments for three years.

Wu Xin, who was enquiring about ETC at the Baliqiao Branch said he had seen other cars using the ETC lane quickly and smoothly and wanted to get a tag.

"The equipment is a little expensive but I am considering it," he said.

Statistics show that drivers who pass toll points 20 times a week could save 14 hours and more than 15 liters of petrol each year by using ETC.

"We will try to reduce the price of the ETC tag and provide good offers on the toll payment in the near future," Wang Xing, an officer from the Beijing Capital Highway Development Company said.

(Source: China Daily)