Next a good news for drivers,

Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co (FETC), has announced that it will provide new electronic toll stickers to users for free, starting next February.

People who have installed the on-board (OBU) units can change to the new eTag system for free, while the prepaid money can be transformed as toll payment.

Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co (FETC), the company that provides electronic toll payment services on the nation's freeways, announced that it will provide new electronic toll stickers to users for free, replacing current on-board units (OBU), starting next February.

"Starting next February utill the government starts charging drivers according to the distance traveled on freeways, we will provide free eTag to our users for free, one sticker for one vehicle."

The current ETC system includes an ETC card and a card holder, and users need to store NT$500 in prepaid accounts.

And the electronic toll sticker, called eTag, is only 2.5cm wide and 6.7cm in length, and drivers who have purchased on-board units can use the same account to apply for the sticker, for free.

However, some people can't stop wondering why FETC is now giving the service for free, while it charged OBU users NT$1,199 five years ago.

It turns out that FETC is now facing pressure from the National Freeway Bureau, which according to their contract, 60% of drivers must use the electronic toll payment system by this June.

However, the installation rate is merely 42% by the end of May, and FETC has therefore decided to give the new eTag system for free to boost the installation rate. According to the contract, if the installation rate remains lower than the target, the contractor will face a fine of NT$500,000 per day if it fails to reach the 65% installation rate by the end of June next year.