The Electronic Toll Collection system was introduced in March 2001 amid great expectations that it would ease the notorious traffic jams on Japan's expressways as it allows vehicles equipped with a transponder to pass through toll gates without having to stop to pay.
However, a year later, it appears there are still too few vehicles using the expensive ETC system to make any difference.
The number of vehicles equipped with "tag" transponders remains extremely low -- in April, only 2.1 percent of the daily traffic of 5.74 million vehicles on expressways operated by three semigovernmental public corporations used ETC transponders at toll gates, the transport ministry said. The three public firms effectively operate all of Japan's expressways.