Drivers who use the Dartford Crossing can expect to pay more than usual from next week. Car drivers will have to pay an extra pound every time they use the bridge, rising from £2.50 to £3.50 for the one-off price, from Monday (September 1).
The crossing is one of the most important links between Kent and the city, making it a popular commuter route. But the road is known to suffer with heavy congestion which affects the local area, neighbouring roads and even the M25.
Plans to increase the toll prices were announced by the Department for Transport earlier this year in June. Car drivers can soon expect to pay £1 more than they already do, while heavy duty vehicles like coaches and lorries will see a larger increase.
Why are toll prices going up?
Toll prices are being raised as the current prices are “no longer sufficient” at helping control the high levels of traffic which use the crossing, say the Department for Transport.
Demand at the crossing has grown by 7.5 per cent in recent years according to the DfT and is used by an average of over 150,000 vehicles every day. These levels are higher than the bridge was originally designed to withhold which often leads to traffic jams, delays and disruption to drivers – even affecting the M25.
It is hoped that raising the prices will help control congestion, some of which the DfT believes will be subsidised by the soon-to-be built Lower Thames Crossing. This is a new major road that will connect Kent and Essex through a tunnel beneath the River Thames.
Full list of new toll prices
Are there any discounts available?
Discounts continue to be available for people who live in the local area through a scheme. Drivers who live in Dartford or Thurrock who have signed up to the scheme will pay £25 for unlimited annual crossings from September 1.
Motorcycles and those using the bicycle pick-up service will also travel free at all times. You can pay the Dart Charge here.
Why drivers still have to pay a toll
Under the original agreement when the bridge was built, tolling was supposed to stop once it had paid for itself, which was more than 20 years ago. In February 1999, the government announced the Dartford Crossing would be free of toll charges by the end of 2003. Motoring organisations – and drivers themselves – welcomed the news.
But in 2001, it was revealed that the government had backtracked out of the initial agreement, and there was outrage from all angles.
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