(Yicai Global) Jan. 15 -- Almost all of the highway toll booths in China's southern province of Guangdong are now self-operated using electronic payments as the local government looks to cut down on congestion.

Self-service payment options are available in about 2,000 lanes, local media outlet Yangcheng Evening News reported. Drivers can pay using WeChat, Alipay, UnionPay, China Merchants Bank's online payment system or Yuetong Card, a digital toll collection card, and can either sign up for automatic license plate-recognition payments or scan a QR code at the booth to pay.

Guangdong's provincial capital Guangzhou was the sixth-most congested city in China during rush hours in 2017, down from fourth in the third quarter of that year, according to a report from domestic navigation firm Amap, the Ministry of Transport and Alibaba's cloud unit. Many major cities in China are looking to cut down on traffic, and over half of the biggest 100 made reductions during 2017, the report showed.

For the automated payments, drivers can link their car registration to a third-party payment app in advance, using an application called Gaosutong or a WeChat mini-app called Wugan Payment. Drivers will also be able to print digital invoices using the Yuetong Card app or Wugan Payment mini-app.

Editor: James Boynton