The Dartford Crossing charge is set to increase by 40% from September. It has been announced that the standard charge for car drivers using the crossing will rise from £2.50 to £3.50.
The crossing links the M25 in Essex and Kent and it is a crucial part of the national road network. Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said in a statement to Parliament that the road was used by as many as 180,000 vehicles per day and that the current charge was “no longer sufficient” to meet demand.
She said: “Current charging levels are no longer sufficient to achieve their stated aim of managing demand so that the crossing works well for users and local people.
“The need to increase the charges to manage traffic highlights the need for the additional capacity that LTC, for which the government confirmed new funding yesterday, will provide.
“To secure the effective operation of the crossing, I have, therefore, decided to increase the charges for all vehicle types that currently pay to use the crossing from 1 September 2025.”
Tolling for the bridge was originally meant to stop once it had paid for itself, almost 15 years ago. It was announced that the Dartford Crossing would be free of all toll charges by the end of 2003 in February 1999.
However, outrage began when it was revealed that the government had backed out of the initial agreement in 2001. Now, the price of crossing the bridge is once again set to increase – the first time this has happened since 2014.
The statement said that people driving buses, coaches, vans and other goods vehicles with two axles would pay up to £4.20 under the new changes. Vehicles with more than two axles will be charged up to £8.40.
Journeys made between the hours of 10pm and 6pm will continue to be free when there is no need to manage demand. Motorcyclists will also be able to make free trips at any time and the bicycle pick-up service.
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