Dartford Charge will go up for drivers - here's how much it rises
The Dartford Crossing charge is set to increase later on this year to help ease congestion, the Department for Transport has announced.
The fee, which is paid by motorists driving on the A282 road between Dartford in Kent in the south and Thurrock in Essex in the north, is used to maintain upkeep of the bridge.
From September 1, the Dartford Crossing charge will increase from £2.50 to £3.50 for cars, minibuses and motorhomes, while coaches, buses and vans will be charged £4.20 instead of the previous price of £3.
The Dartford Crossing charge for lorries and large vehicles with more than two axles will increase from £6 to £8.40.
Motorbikes and mopeds can continue to cross for free.
The route is the UK's busiest crossing as it sees an average of 150,000 vehicles a day, but it was built for 135,000, National Highways said.
On some days, traffic reaches 180,000, and the crossing is no stranger to traffic gridlock and severe delays.
Drivers using the crossing, which is made up of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge southbound and two tunnels northbound, have to pay the Dart Charge every time they use it.
The Dart Charge has faced criticism from motorists who have been wrongly fined for crossings they never made, including a doctor who was fined 34 times after the ANPR cameras mistook another number plate as hers.
Residents have been able to cross as many times as they want for £20 a year, but that will also increase this autumn to £25.
Announcing the Dartford Crossing charge increase, junior transport minister, Lilian Greenwood, said the traffic levels are 'well in excess of the crossing's design capacity, causing delays for drivers using the crossing, congestion and journey disruption to drivers on the M25 and a range of knock-on impacts for local communities.'
The crossing charges have increased steadily since the four-lane bridge opened in 1991, shortly after the M25 opened.
The tunnels, which opened in 1963 and 1980 respectively, originally cost two shillings and sixpence to use.
It is thought the charges were intended to be phased out when the construction costs were covered, but the charges have become a permanent fixture. More Trending
People in the area have told Metro that when an incident blocks traffic at Dartford, the nearby local roads become mayhem with diverted vehicles navigating narrow roads.
One resident said it is not uncommon to see huge lorries clogging up the village roads when Dartford traffic is diverted.
In a bid to take pressure off the Dartford, National Highways wants to build a second crossing nearby, the Lower Thames Crossing.
The £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing was awarded £590 million in government funding after the project was approved by planners.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Dartford Crossing fee rises are ‘revenue raiser', motoring groups claim
Motoring groups have criticised the decision to increase Dartford Crossing charges by 40%. Transport minister Lilian Greenwood announced fees for the crossing, which features a bridge and two tunnels connecting Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent, will rise from September 1 to 'manage traffic'. Examples of increases for one-off payments in from £2.50 to £3.50 for cars, from £3 to £4.20 for coaches and vans, and from £6 to £8.40 for lorries. It is the first time prices have gone up since 2013. With up to 180,000 vehicles using the crossing on the busiest days, Ms Greenwood described the traffic levels as 'well in excess of the crossing's design capacity, causing delays for drivers using the crossing, congestion and journey disruption to drivers on the M25 and a range of knock-on impacts for local communities'. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'The claim that this 40% increase in the charge is all about managing traffic will raise more than a few eyebrows given that those making the crossing have little alternative but to do so. 'Most people will, understandably, and probably rightly, see this move as nothing else but a revenue raiser.' Edmund King, AA president, said: 'Long-distance travellers from the UK and Europe, freight, business and regional users have all been sold down the river by successive governments through the unnecessary perpetuation of tolls and lack of future capacity at Dartford. 'Tolling was supposed to pay for the Dartford Bridge and then end, which would have been in 2003. 'However, it became a nice little earner which raised tens of millions of pounds every year. 'Ramping up the tolls by an extra pound, when the majority of users have no alternative about the time and place they cross the Thames, is simply road charging and a bridge too far.' James Barwise, Road Haulage Association (RHA) policy lead, said: 'Dartford remains the only practical Thames crossing for HGVs and coaches in the South East. 'It's therefore regrettable that the charge increase has been so significant. 'This adds to running costs at an already financially challenging time for many businesses in our sector (HGVs, coaches and vans) and ultimately pushes up prices for consumers.' The Government has given the go ahead for the Lower Thames Crossing, which it hopes will reducing congestion on the Dartford Crossing The new crossing will connect the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex via a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames, which would be the UK's longest road tunnel. Work on the project has been ongoing since 2009, and more than £800 million of taxpayers' money has been spent on planning.
Metro
4 hours ago
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Dartford Charge will go up for drivers - here's how much it rises
The Dartford Crossing charge is set to increase later on this year to help ease congestion, the Department for Transport has announced. The fee, which is paid by motorists driving on the A282 road between Dartford in Kent in the south and Thurrock in Essex in the north, is used to maintain upkeep of the bridge. From September 1, the Dartford Crossing charge will increase from £2.50 to £3.50 for cars, minibuses and motorhomes, while coaches, buses and vans will be charged £4.20 instead of the previous price of £3. The Dartford Crossing charge for lorries and large vehicles with more than two axles will increase from £6 to £8.40. Motorbikes and mopeds can continue to cross for free. The route is the UK's busiest crossing as it sees an average of 150,000 vehicles a day, but it was built for 135,000, National Highways said. On some days, traffic reaches 180,000, and the crossing is no stranger to traffic gridlock and severe delays. Drivers using the crossing, which is made up of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge southbound and two tunnels northbound, have to pay the Dart Charge every time they use it. The Dart Charge has faced criticism from motorists who have been wrongly fined for crossings they never made, including a doctor who was fined 34 times after the ANPR cameras mistook another number plate as hers. Residents have been able to cross as many times as they want for £20 a year, but that will also increase this autumn to £25. Announcing the Dartford Crossing charge increase, junior transport minister, Lilian Greenwood, said the traffic levels are 'well in excess of the crossing's design capacity, causing delays for drivers using the crossing, congestion and journey disruption to drivers on the M25 and a range of knock-on impacts for local communities.' The crossing charges have increased steadily since the four-lane bridge opened in 1991, shortly after the M25 opened. The tunnels, which opened in 1963 and 1980 respectively, originally cost two shillings and sixpence to use. It is thought the charges were intended to be phased out when the construction costs were covered, but the charges have become a permanent fixture. More Trending People in the area have told Metro that when an incident blocks traffic at Dartford, the nearby local roads become mayhem with diverted vehicles navigating narrow roads. One resident said it is not uncommon to see huge lorries clogging up the village roads when Dartford traffic is diverted. In a bid to take pressure off the Dartford, National Highways wants to build a second crossing nearby, the Lower Thames Crossing. The £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing was awarded £590 million in government funding after the project was approved by planners. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: HS2 is delayed again – here's how much it is over budget MORE: Another e-bike brand is set to launch in London this summer MORE: Traffic delays on M25 after multi-vehicle crash
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