Dartford Crossing Toll Increases

[pugmanic]

Hello peeps,

I travel from Kent in to Essex every day for work, and consequently use the Dartford crossing. Having heard a rumour about toll increases I e-mailed the Customer Services department and recieved the following response:

Nick…

Proposed Increase in Charges - Autumn 2008


The Department for Transport (DfT) has not yet announced an implementation date for the new revised charges but it will be announced in the press and on the Department for Transport (DfT) www.dft.gov.uk (http://www.dft.gov.uk/) and Highways Agency (HA) www.highways.gov.uk (http://www.highways.gov.uk/) websites.

Additionally there will be information available and leaflets will be issued at the booths outlining the proposals prior to the revised charges being levied.

The new charges will allow for all car drivers who purchase a Dart-tag to use the Crossing for £1.00 - a discount of 33⅓% regardless of where they live.

If you don't already have one you can get details by contacting:

DART- Tag Telephone Helpline 01322 280200
DART- Tag Online: www. (blocked::http://www.dart-tag.co.uk)dart-tag.co.uk
DART -Tag Fax: 01322 294256
DART- Tag E-mail: admin@dart-tag.co.uk (blocked::mailto:admin@dart-tag.co.uk)

These proposals do acknowledge the potential impact on frequent users of the Crossing and this is why the charges for those who choose to use the DART-Tag service will be significantly discounted.

For cars the DART-Tag rate charged will only be £1.00 - the current
cash rate and an increase of 7 pence on the current discounted DART-Tag rate - instead of the proposed £1.50. Charges would be removed completely between the hours of 22.00 and 06.00hrs and towing a trailer would no longer incur an increased charge.

There is a need to ease congestion at the booths and it for this reason
that the DART- Tag facility is being promoted with sizeable discounts
to encourage customers to enrol.
The new charges will not be effected before the Autumn.

I trust that this information is of use.
Dave McIntyre
Customer Services Manager

Telephone: 01322 221603 Extension 157
E-mail davemcintyre@lecrossing.co.uk (davemcintyre@lecrossing.co.uk)




Although it means a 7% increase in Toll charges for me, it is not nearly as bad as I had first feared.

[Silly Cow]

Thanks for that, pugmanic.

So the normal cash cost is going up to £1.50 between 6am & 10pm?

What a bargain - considering the original purpose of the tolls was to pay for the building costs of the bridge which is now paid for.

I guess I'll be making more use of the Gravesend-Tilbury passenger ferry wherever possible instead.

[eslick]

We live near the tyne tunnel and they are building a new one, its going to cost a fortune by 2010 when the new one is complete and we just had and increase on Jan 1st from £1.10 to £1.20 for cars and light vans only.

The local councillors are starting to realise that people cant afford to use it. For me using the tunnel is the quickest way to work, about 6 miles against around 15 miles as the other option, however with the cost of the toll and it is actually cheaper to drive the 15 miles.

Anyway rant over :) in Scotland from a couple of weeks ago tolls were
abolished by the Scottish Parliament. Local pressure groups in Tyneside are calling for the same to happen here. It is actually getting some weight behind the campaign and it might be worth trying this in other parts of the country.

They have started one of those pettitions, nothing really happens from these but anything helps.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/tynetunneltoll/

[pugmanic]

Nice idea but it won't happen. The crossing is very heavily used by freight as well as cars. It is the easiest way for trucks from the continent to head up North from Dover.

There were over 53 Million crossings between 06 and 07. I think that will have gone up since. On a conservative estimate that is well over 120 mill in tolls at the current charges.

[Sagaris]

I thought I saw somewhere that residents in Essex and Kent were going to be exempt from the tolls? Perhaps I was dreaming!

[Silly Cow]

That's not the case unfortunately, sagaris, but you probably weren't dreaming either. We got teased with all sorts of proposals which haven't become reality. There has been recent talk about residents in the boroughs of Thurrock and Dartford (where the bridge starts and finishes) receiving a 90% discount.

Just searched and found this...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7232763.stm

[Katgoddess]

I thought I saw somewhere that residents in Essex and Kent were going to be exempt from the tolls? Perhaps I was dreaming!

They are going to get so many free crossings a year (50?) and any more they get a discount. I live in Bexley and the leader of the council and up in arms about it because we won't get any discount.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/newsbexley/display.var.2059150.0.crossing_discount_denied.php

Most people in Bexley only use the bridge to go to Ikea. :rotfl:

[pugmanic]

Thats still a lot of meat balls ;)

[Bob63]

No charge for motorcycles. Get on two wheels, you know it makes sense!

[waterworld17]

i have been going through the dartford bridge/tunnel some days and i have been paying £1.80 no matterer what time of day it is, i drive an astra van and am paying the price of the larger vans, i think its a cheak they charge that when im the same as a estate car, i told the guy behind the window its a rip of he said oh well, the have not changed there prices on there boards or anything is this right? The way i see it is you only have too pay what the boards say and not what the guy behind the window says, its illegal what they doing is it not???:mad:

[vaio]

I thought I saw somewhere that residents in Essex and Kent were going to be exempt from the tolls? Perhaps I was dreaming!

Yep, and welsh people are exempt from the severn bridge charges

[spunko2010]

Hold on: I work in Thurrock but commute from Bexley, so I'm not entitled to a reduction. I'm thinking of registering at my work and saying I live there. If they send over the form to the specified address in Thurrock that might count as their "verification". Will this work? It'd save me £500 a year.

Yes I'm looking for a loophole to avoid paying Brown and Darling another stealth tax.

[punkrocker]

The tolls have now been announced to be changing up on the 15th novemeber of this year!

The new toll charges will be
Car : £1.50 without dart tag and £1.00 for Dart tag
Van: £2.00

There will no longer be a charge at night or for trailers

The local resident discount will allow 50 free travels and there 20pence a travel from then on. Only people who live in the Thrrock and Dartford council areas will be eligible

It will also still be free for people who are Tax exempt however a new system will allow these drivers to not stop at the booth and drive right through

[JimmyTheWig]

So, a 50% increase?
And they want us to keep to 3% pay increases?

Hmmmm.

[Rab19]

I got my letter confirming these changes & am SO glad that I got my Dart-Tag years ago - still saving me money!

I used to live in Essex & coach in both Basingstoke then Guildford, so was crossing the tolls at least 2-3 times a week, dependant on training and/or games! Now I live in Hampshire, it's a LOT easier & cheaper!


Rab x x

[Ionkontrol]

The French own it now so the money is not even staying in thsi country.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

There shouldn't be any charges at all. The bridge has been paid for.

[vikingaero]

There shouldn't be any charges at all. The bridge has been paid for.

True that the bridge and tunnel has been paid for but the tunnel and bridge are a special case given the amount of manpower needed to maintain and service it. You can't leave a broken down vehicle in the tunnel until the AA arrives. The congestion it causes is horrific.

But I don't understand:

(1) Why Motorcyclists are exempt? They cause as much pollution as a normal car as they are uncatalysed.

(2) If they are raising the toll to £1.50 why not just raise it to £1.10 or £1.20? I guess the attraction of tags for all and all that money sitting in the bank before it is deducted is too good to miss.

(3) Why cyclists don't have to pay for the free lift they get through the tunnel?

(4) Why they don't build one "Foreign driver lane" in each direction? That way the foreign truckers don't have to jump out of their cab to pay.

[Bob63]

(1) Why Motorcyclists are exempt? They cause as much pollution as a normal car as they are uncatalysed.
What makes you think motorcycles don't have cats? Most modern bikes (including all BMW bikes) do have a cat. My BMW R1150GS will easily do 50mpg and takes up a fraction of the room on the road that a car does. My Honda 500 does closer to 80mpg. You can fit 5 or more bikes into the same parking space as one car. Because of these factors, bikes are exempt from most toll crossings (except the Humber Bridge), can park for free, can use bus lanes in many cities (e.g. Bristol & Bath) and are exempt from the TFL congestion charge.

[vikingaero]

What makes you think motorcycles don't have cats? Most modern bikes (including all BMW bikes) do have a cat. My BMW R1150GS will easily do 50mpg and takes up a fraction of the room on the road that a car does. My Honda 500 does closer to 80mpg. You can fit 5 or more bikes into the same parking space as one car. Because of these factors, bikes are exempt from most toll crossings (except the Humber Bridge), can park for free, can use bus lanes in many cities (e.g. Bristol & Bath) and are exempt from the TFL congestion charge.

Because when I sit behind some of them you can smell the unburnt fuel. Doesn't matter whether it's in my car or on a bench outside the pub.Yes your BMW Bike has a cat but not many BMW Bikes are sold in the UK compared to the Japanese bikes. And most people who do have a cat on these bikes tend to remove them with trick exhausts.

[Throbbe]

True that the bridge and tunnel has been paid for but the tunnel and bridge are a special case given the amount of manpower needed to maintain and service it. You can't leave a broken down vehicle in the tunnel until the AA arrives. The congestion it causes is horrific.

But I don't understand:

(1) Why Motorcyclists are exempt? They cause as much pollution as a normal car as they are uncatalysed.


Spot on with the maintenance.

I'm guessing that motorcycles are exampt because either they cause so little wear and tear as to be negligable in maintenance costs, or that it would be very easy for them to avoid the booths without costly modifications. The cynic in me suspects the latter.

[lolarentt]

.......does anyone know if they plan to reintroduce the 'dart tag only' lanes? These are still signed from the approach but don't exist anymore as the far right lanes in both directions will take auto payment as well as the tag.

[JimmyTheWig]

I'm guessing that motorcycles are exampt because either they cause so little wear and tear as to be negligable in maintenance costs, or that it would be very easy for them to avoid the booths without costly modifications. The cynic in me suspects the latter.
I heard it was because it was inconvenient for motorcyclists to carry a pound coin and have easy access to it.

[Constant Change]

Does anybody know how long it's been £1?

50% may seem a big increase but I'd rather pay £1 for ten years thsn £1.50 for the next ten than have it go up by 5p or something inconvenient every year.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

True that the bridge and tunnel has been paid for but the tunnel and bridge are a special case given the amount of manpower needed to maintain and service it.

The tolls were designed to pay for construction and to accrue a maintenance fund. That happened about 4 years ago, at which point the government reneged on their promises to parliament and decided to continue charging people to cross.

In other words, they had their hands in the till and couldn't take them out.

[melancholly]

glad i read this - i drive through it rarely, but always set out with a £1 coin ready on the dashboard to pay..... best get £1.50 ready after november then!

[vikingaero]

glad i read this - i drive through it rarely, but always set out with a £1 coin ready on the dashboard to pay..... best get £1.50 ready after november then!

Or be MSE and get yourself a DART Tag so you'll go through for £1. :beer:

[melancholly]

Or be MSE and get yourself a DART Tag so you'll go through for £1. :beer:
but you have to pay £10 minimum a year on that - and only using it 3/4 times a year, it's cheaper to pay whenever i go :(

[Andy L]

True that the bridge and tunnel has been paid for but the tunnel and bridge are a special case given the amount of manpower needed to maintain and service it. You can't leave a broken down vehicle in the tunnel until the AA arrives. The congestion it causes is horrific.

But I don't understand:

(1) Why Motorcyclists are exempt? They cause as much pollution as a normal car as they are uncatalysed.

Because we used to (deliberately) take ages to stop, take gloves off, hunt for money, put change away, gloves back on & ride off. Eventually they realised the money wasn't worth the delays to everyone else. :D

[Mobeer]

I've been waiting for this for ages and now finally we have a date - 16 November and I can cross for free. Thumbs up for Labour! (for once!)

[vikingaero]

I've been waiting for this for ages and now finally we have a date - 16 November and I can cross for free. Thumbs up for Labour! (for once!)

I don't think NuLab have anything to do with it.

I suspect the reason for the change is that it costs loads to employ all those toll booth operators after hours. They've probably realised that the revenue they receive in the early hours doesn't make it worth employing people.

[spunko2010]

I live in Dartford - you can sometimes get caught in a queue for the tolls at 3am, so the post above is moot :D

[punkrocker]

Here are some answers to some questions:

(1) Why Motorcyclists are exempt? They cause as much pollution as a normal car as they are uncatalysed.

They do not have to pay as it takes alot of time for them to stop and the booth find the money and give it to the operator, it takes alot less time and saves traffic just to let them go for free

(2) If they are raising the toll to £1.50 why not just raise it to £1.10 or £1.20? I guess the attraction of tags for all and all that money sitting in the bank before it is deducted is too good to miss.

They are rasing the toll charge mainly to promote the dart tag system and speed up the time spent at the booths paying

(3) Why cyclists don't have to pay for the free lift they get through the tunnel?

The Dartford crossing has crossing controls going through the tunnel at all times so therefore they provide a free service to cyclisits as it is not a hassle to provide them with a crossing, also this is to promote cycling to work,

(4) Why they don't build one "Foreign driver lane" in each direction? That way the foreign truckers don't have to jump out of their cab to pay.

This would take up another manned booth or take away one of the automatic lanes, they are not allowed to build anymore booths either side hence why the tunnel side has more booths than the south side as it is

The tunnel is no longer going to be owned by the french which alot of people seem to be complaing about. The contract with the companies 'Le crossing' is coming to an end next year.

There sometimes can be traffic at 3am in the morning as the traffic at night depends on what time ferries from Dover come into the port as then all lorries tend to hit the crossing at the same time. This doesnt occur on the bridge side of the crossing normally.

And infact it doesnt cost anymore for them to employ thier night staff and they will still have to have night staff at the tolls when it goes free at night for break downs etc the main reason for making free at night is to promote the freight lorries to travel at these times.

Also the toll is no longer a toll it is a congestion charge.

[Silly Cow]

The local resident discount will allow 50 free travels and there 20pence a travel from then on. Only people who live in the Thrrock and Dartford council areas will be eligible


Although they have to pay £10 per year for those "free" journeys.:rolleyes:

[mrbadexample]

Because we used to (deliberately) take ages to stop, take gloves off, hunt for money, put change away, gloves back on & ride off. Eventually they realised the money wasn't worth the delays to everyone else. :D

I'm gonna start doing that in my car. :p :rotfl:

[GH122]

Not sure if this link has been added already, but here are the new charges with and wihtout the Dart Tag.

http://www.dart-tag.co.uk/nossl/index.php?page=charges_and_discounts

We will certainly be gettting one to save on increased charges.

[mickydx00]

(1) Why Motorcyclists are exempt? They cause as much pollution as a normal car as they are uncatalysed.


(4) Why they don't build one "Foreign driver lane" in each direction? That way the foreign truckers don't have to jump out of their cab to pay.

firstly i am a truck driver that uses dartford twice a day now at a cost of £3.70 (dartagged £3.20) a go and i also ride a motorbike.

as has been mentioned already motorcycle charges are nothing to do with pollution it is the time factor, think about it, riding along on yer bike no pockets in motorcycle leathers for the average 1 or 2 piece leathers, so where do you put your cash? in a backpack, so you pull up to toll booths, gloves off, backpack off and search for your cash, find it and pay then sit there and put backpack back on and gloves on then ride through! whats that going to take? a minute or so? now times that by the fact that you can get approx 5 or 6 bikes in the space of one car and already you have a queue that quickly grows and think about world superbike weekend at brands hatch just down the road when thousands of bikes use the crossing and noone is going anywhere, so the bikes go free decision was a sensible one.

my second point is about foreign trucks, last night i sat in a 20 mile queue for dartford and the cause of the hold up was perfectly obvious at the toll booths, left hand drive trucks! the booths just arent setup for left hand drive vehicles and as also has been said before the drivers have to either get out of cab or climb across the cab to pay the charge, the solution from where i see it wouldn't involve new booths or extra lanes but simply another window and operative on the right side of existing booths and controlls to appropriate lanes to gain access to left hand drive vehicles. with all the extra revenue rasised now this shouldn't be too much to ask with the high numbers of foreign trucks on our roads today, a simple solution to avoid the ridiculous queues which have increased since the introduction of the new charges.

[punkrocker]

my second point is about foreign trucks, last night i sat in a 20 mile queue for dartford and the cause of the hold up was perfectly obvious at the toll booths, left hand drive trucks! the booths just arent setup for left hand drive vehicles and as also has been said before the drivers have to either get out of cab or climb across the cab to pay the charge, the solution from where i see it wouldn't involve new booths or extra lanes but simply another window and operative on the right side of existing booths and controlls to appropriate lanes to gain access to left hand drive vehicles. with all the extra revenue rasised now this shouldn't be too much to ask with the high numbers of foreign trucks on our roads today, a simple solution to avoid the ridiculous queues which have increased since the introduction of the new charges.

So your telling me making one collector controling what could work out as two lanes would make sence and cut down quees?
:confused: