ETC operators reach out to drivers

Over 700,000 drivers have applied for electronic toll collection (ETC) devices since an online platform which opened on August 1, said Shanghai Public Traffic Card Group, the company that operates the ETC system.

Altogether about 2.8 million drivers have already applied for such devices as of Wednesday. Yet only 30 to 40 percent of these drivers have activated their units, said Xu Xiaohua from the company.

With the National Day holiday just around the corner, Shanghai’s ETC network is expected to face a major challenge from rising traffic flows. Xu urged all drivers who have received ETC units to activate them as soon as possible so they can pass through tolls quickly.

Zhang Chi, the company's general manager, said that drivers can now receive ETC devices within 10 days of application, down from about 20 days previously.

Zhang also explained that the company will offer free tickets to tourist attractions in the Yangtze River Delta region to drivers who activate their ETC devices via the Shanghai Public Traffic Card mobile app before the end of this year.

Drivers can find a list of participating attractions on the app.

Meanwhile, 216 new banking outlets in Shanghai have opened as application channels for ETC devices, the company said.