The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province is among the first 27 cities to pilot electronic toll collection (ETC) smart parking, the General Office of the Ministry of Transport announced.

The move is designed to accelerate the expansion of ETC service functions, promote the application of ETC parking lots, and enhance public travel, authorities said.

The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province [Photo/VCG]

Big data, artificial intelligence, 5G and other cutting-edge technologies will be integrated into ETC smart parking construction in areas such as airports, railway stations, shopping malls and residential communities.

The ETC smart parking pilots will also contribute to smart city construction, officials said.

Qingdao will focus on the implementation of the "ETC + car" life service, which will expand ETC services to more scenarios such as refueling, car wash and vehicle charging through online and offline channels.

According to the Qingdao municipal transport bureau, there were more than 2.55 million ETC users in the city by the end of 2020.

Officials said that parking lots at major transportation hub in the city will be equipped with ETC smart parking technologies within the year.