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Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Dartford Crossing charge to increase by 40 PER CENT in September - here's how much you'll have to pay
Drivers face an increase in pricing to use the Dartford Crossing from September in what motoring groups have dubbed a blatant 'revenue raiser'. With the charge first introduced in 2003, it was last upped a decade ago in 2014. However, from 1 September 2025, the cost will be going up again - and by 40 per cent. Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary under-Secretary at the Department for Transport, confirmed this week that the existing one-off payment for cars, motorhomes and small minibuses of £2.50 will be increased to £3.50 from September to 'manage traffic'. All other road users will also see a 40 per cent hike, with coaches and vans levied £4.20 from September - up from £3 currently - and lorries facing an increase from £6 to £8.40. Motorcycles, moped and quad bikes will still be able to use the route free of charge. The crossing, which is made up of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge travelling southbound and the two Dartford Tunnels when heading north, connects Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent and is used by more than 150,000 vehicles per day on average. The RAC Foundation said the suggestion that a 40 per cent increase is solely to manage traffic levels will 'raise more than a few eyebrows', while AA President Edmund King said the charge should have paid off construction costs for the bridge in 2003 but has been retained as a 'nice little earner which raised tens of millions of pounds every year'. In 2014, tollbooths were removed from the crossing and the online Dart Charge introduced to 'make journeys smoother'. A price hike was also implemented to 'help manage increased demand', though ministers claim that in the 11 years since, usage has grown by 7.5 per cent. With up to 180,000 vehicles using the crossing on the busiest days, Ms Greenwood attempted to defend the increase, saying traffic levels during peak times are 'well in excess of the crossing's design capacity'. She added that has been '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'. Local residents who currently pay £20 a year to use the Dartford Crossing as many times as they want will have to pay £25 from when the charge increases on 1 September. Journeys made between the hours of 10pm and 6am will continue to be free. On average, 150,000 vehicles use the crossing daily. However, busier periods can see this figure rise to 180,000, which Greenwood said is 'well in excess of the crossing's design capacity' The crossing opened in three stages. The first west tunnel was completed in 1963 and - to cope with increasing traffic volumes - the second east tunnel arrived in 1980. The two tunnels are 1,430 metres long. The Queen Elizabeth Bridge was opened to traffic on 30 October 1991 to the tune of £120million. This included £30million for the approach roads. In 1999, the Government announced that tolling would end in 2003 - but it backtracked on this two years later, stating making it free would create more traffic. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said Greenwood's claim that a 40 per cent increase in the charge is to manage traffic will 'raise more than a few eyebrows given that those making the crossing have little alternative but to do so'. He added: 'Most people will, understandably, and probably rightly, see this move as nothing else but a revenue raiser.' The AA's Edmund King commented: '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, policy lead at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), 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. On Monday, Treasury minister Emma Reynolds suffered an embarrassing meltdown in a live interview when she struggled to answer basic questions about the new River Thames crossing. In a toe-curling moment during an interview with LBC, the economic secretary was unable to give the location or the total cost of the project. She also mistakenly referred to the existing crossing being the 'Dartmouth Tunnel', apparently confusing the Devon town with Dartford. 'I meant Dartford, excuse me, I had a very early morning,' the minister told LBC Radio. Asked by presenter Nick Ferrari about the proposed new crossing's location, Ms Reynolds frantically leafed through paperwork. 'You'll forgive me, I can't recall the landing zone,' she said.
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- 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.
The Independent
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Smart motorways have higher rate of recorded breakdowns
Smart motorways have a vehicle breakdown rate nearly three times higher than conventional motorways, new figures show. National Highways statistics show 56% of breakdowns logged on England's motorways last year happened on smart motorways. That is despite the roads only making up 20% of the total motorway network. The 141,149 smart motorway breakdown incidents recorded in 2024 was an average of 387 per day. The AA described the statistics, released in response to a Freedom of Information request, as 'a major concern'. National Highways said the technology installed on smart motorways means breakdowns on those roads are more likely to be detected. Smart motorways are designed to increase capacity at a lower cost than widening roads. That can be done by converting the hard shoulder into a live running lane. There have been long-standing safety concerns after fatal incidents in which vehicles stopped in live lanes were hit from behind. Then-prime minister Rishi Sunak cancelled all future planned smart motorway projects in April 2023, citing financial pressures and a lack of public confidence in the roads. Some smart motorway stretches are controlled schemes, which use variable speed limits but retain a hard shoulder. AA president Edmund King told the PA news agency: 'For many drivers, fear of a collision on a smart motorway would be reinforced by witnessing a breakdown in a live lane, or frequently seeing vehicles in refuge areas. 'These new figures suggest that the chance of that happening is increasing – approaching 400 a day along 396 miles of smart motorway, even when including controlled stretches. 'Equivalent to one a mile each day, that inspires more motorists to stay out of lane one, thus increasing the chance of congestion.' For the first time, figures published by National Highways show 251,448 breakdowns on England's motorways were logged last year. That is a rise of 3% from the previous year and 47% compared with 2014. The AA said free breakdown recovery in roadwork areas and monitoring of smart motorways have increased the number of incidents recorded by National Highways. It believe the length of the motorway network can be ruled out as a major factor as it has only increased by 65 miles in the past decade. Mr King said: 'It is a major concern that we are witnessing more than a quarter of a million breakdowns a year on the motorway network – and those are just the officially recorded ones. 'The situation does not appear to be getting any better.' He added that drivers can reduce the likelihood of breaking down by taking measures such as having their vehicle regularly serviced, checking tyre conditions and pressure, and ensuring they have adequate fuel or charge. A National Highways spokesperson said: 'Our latest analysis continues to show that overall, smart motorways remain our safest roads. 'We have upgraded the technology to detect stopped vehicles, improved response times to live lane breakdowns and installed more than 150 additional emergency areas giving people a place to pull over if they break down. 'Unlike other roads, smart motorways have technology in place to identify stopped vehicles, including breakdowns. 'This means more breakdowns are identified on smart motorways compared to other road types, and as a result these stats are not a reliable indicator of actual safety.'
