Dartford Crossing

robbies_gal

you cant change the car after the journey or everyone would be doing it to try and cheat the system

planetf1

My daughter just received a fine -- or more correctly opened the envelop (>14 days - I think it's less than 28.)... she's adamant she didn't realise she needed to pay and thought the signs were confusing.

It's now 2017. I know there were teething troubles and this isn't a case of disputing if the crossing was used / ANPR issues - she absolutely did at the time mentioned, just about the meaning of the signs.

I'm interested in what people think as to whether it's worth appealing that the signage was confusing. I haven't been on that road personally so it's hard to say, and dft say they are 50 signs...

Thoughts?

JP1978

planetf1 wrote: »

My daughter just received a fine -- or more correctly opened the envelop (>14 days - I think it's less than 28.)... she's adamant she didn't realise she needed to pay and thought the signs were confusing.

It's now 2017. I know there were teething troubles and this isn't a case of disputing if the crossing was used / ANPR issues - she absolutely did at the time mentioned, just about the meaning of the signs.

I'm interested in what people think as to whether it's worth appealing that the signage was confusing. I haven't been on that road personally so it's hard to say, and dft say they are 50 signs...

Thoughts?

I went over a few weeks ago for the first time in years and saw plenty of signs along the lines of "Dart Charge find us online" - if that isn't clear enough to at least make someone think 'I had better google that' then I dont know what is. Or maybe the huge red road markings with a white C within them - again "Wonder what that is" - the later been included in the highway code.

EdGasketTheSecond

I think its unreasonable to be expected to read complicated signs about payment and take down phone numbers when you are supposed to be looking at the road. I'm sure I wouldn't gather that I was expected to pay something if there were no barriers and I didn't know about it already. I doubt she has any defense though. How much is the fine?

elverson

The signs aren't complicated, there are loads of them (as below) on all the approaches to the crossing. They are very hard to miss.

Lucky_Duck_2

I slipped up once and forgot to pay within the timescales provided, a few weeks later some paperwork arrived with an unimpressive photograph of my car.

While the letter talked about fines, etc on reading the letter more thoroughly they would accept payment of the crossing fee rather than the fine. Might be worth a re-read?

adonis

Interesting article on BBC news,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-40996859

perhaps they didn't see the signs either?

cloughja

I travelled from Scotland for a wedding as did a bunch of my friends and we all missed these signs so I guess they are easy to miss. It would be better if there was a sign saying Toll road.

Cornucopia

It's always possible to make things clearer...

Robisere

Having relatives in Beckenham and further down in Kent, and living in East Lincolnshire, I have had occasion to use the Crossing, but never enjoyed the experience: does anyone? I have a disability and a Motability car, so the reg plate is recognised and I am not charged. However, I always wonder what happened to the operators of the many Toll Booths who used to work there.

I understand how these signs can be missed by someone from another area: first time I used it, even when the Toll Booths were manned, it was a nightmare. Now that they are unmanned, it's worse - extremely heavy traffic, including the massive trucks funneling out of here to all over the UK. Sometimes it appears that there are walls of these trucks surrounding the car. If you are not used to it and become nervous, it is easy to miss the signs.