The General Office of the Ministry of Transport ("MOT") has recently issued the Circular on Matters Concerning the Implementation of the Industry Standard Entitled Vehicle Model Classification for Tolls of Toll Roads (JT/T489—2019) (the "Circular").
The Circular calls for: 1. reclassifying vehicle models; 2. urging the installation of in-vehicle electronic toll collection (ETC) devices; and 3. ramping up efforts to publicize and interpret the latest policy. According to the Circular, vehicle-mounted ETC devices will be offered and installed free of charge, according to the latest criteria of vehicle model classification. Targeted services will be offered to the existing ETC users to replace their in-vehicle ETC devices or update the vehicle model category, if their vehicles are included in a different category under the new criteria. For freight vehicles and special operation vehicles, their owners may install or replace the in-vehicle ETC devices or update the vehicle model category, according to the new classification criteria; the function of non-cash payments will be activated and these vehicles will still be subject to tolls under the current toll standard and the toll calculation method. Beginning from January 1, 2020, the non-stop ETC function will be activated, and ETC card users (referring to those ETC users having not equipped their vehicles with the ETC devices) will no longer be entitled to the toll discount policy under which a minimum five-percent discount will be offered in principle.