Drivers to pay more to use Dartford Crossing | Government says current Dart Charge unsustainable

Drivers of all vehicle types will have to pay more to use the Dartford Crossing from September 1, after the Government said that the current Dart Charge level was unsustainable.

The Dartford Crossing is the only fixed road crossing of the River Thames, east of London, and one of the most important links in the strategic road network.

In a written statement to Parliament published today (Tuesday, June 17), transport minister Lilian Greenwood 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.”

In the 11 years since toll booths were removed, demand has grown by 7.5%, with the Dartford Crossing now used by more than 150,000 vehicles, on average, every day and up to 180,000 vehicles on the busiest days.

“These 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,” continued Greenwood.

The increase in charges for car drivers will be a maximum of £1, said the minister, with “significant discounts” for local residents and account holders.

Greenwood also insisted that the new charges will be “significantly lower” than if they had increased in line with inflation since the tariff was last fully revised in 2014.

“I am aware that these necessary changes to the charges will be unwelcome news for users of the crossing,” she added. “However, we will continue to support local people through the local resident discount scheme, and I have been determined to keep the nominal fee paid by local people as low as possible, as many rely on the crossing to get around their local area.”

New Dartford Crossing charges from September 1

Drivers who live in Dartford or Thurrock and who have signed up to the scheme will pay £25 for unlimited annual crossings from September 1 – a small increase from the current annual fee, said Greenwood.

There are no other changes to the charging scheme. Journeys made between the hours of 10pm and 6am will continue to be free, when there is no need to manage demand, as will those made by motorcycles at any time and the bicycle pick-up service.

The decision to hike crossing charges comes after the Government announced £590 million funding to kickstart construction of the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC). 

Greenwood said: “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 (Monday, June 16), will provide.”