Dartford Crossing tolls to rise next month, government announces
Charges at the Dartford Crossing
rise on October 7
by Lauren Abbott
Toll fees at the Dartford Crossing will increase in a month's
time, the Department for Transport has announced.
The new charges will be rolled out to hard-pressed
motorists from 6am on Sunday, October 7.
They will see cash payments rise from £1.50 to £2 for cars, from
£2 to £2.50 for two-axle goods vehicles and from £3.70 to £5 for
heavy goods vehicles.
The crossing will remain free for motorcyclists and discounts
will continue for 
local residents and DART-Tag account holders.
It is free for everyone between 10pm and 6am.
Roads minister Mike Penning said: "We have listened carefully to
what people have said, which is why charges that were meant to be
implemented towards the end of last year have been delayed until
now.
"The money raised will help us prioritise investment for
much-needed improvements to increase capacity and reduce journey
times.”
This is the first of two planned changes to the charges, which
were announced in May 2012.
Bryan Sweetland, Kent County Council cabinet member for
highways, said: "I am concerned that toll charges at the Dartford
Crossing are being increased without any improvement to the
congestion problems. I am even more concerned that the introduction
of free-flow tolling has been delayed yet again and is not now
planned until the autumn of 2014, when the original date given was
late 2012. I would urge the DfT to do all they can to improve on
the autumn 2014 date.
"The government has made a firm commitment to look at the longer
term capacity of the crossing and I welcome that. Their own
statistics show that the crossing was at over capacity for more
than two-thirds of the year.
"The benefits of an additional Thames crossing would not only
help alleviate the severe congestion currently faced by road users,
it would also act as a catalyst to unlock much needed investment
opportunities in the Thames Gateway region and help boost business
and employment prospects in Dartford, Swanley and Gravesend.
"However, to put this into perspective, as things stand at the
moment, my 
granddaughter who starts nursery school this week, is
likely to be starting university before any additional crossing is
built. Overall, local residents, businesses and road users will
share my disappointment over this announcement and I call on the
new transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin to address these very
significant concerns as soon as possible.
"Congestion at the Dartford Crossing and its approaches costs
the UK economy some £40million every year and is now a serious
hindrance to encouraging economic growth in north Kent."
04/09/12
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