Car drivers using the Dartford Crossing will have to pay £1 extra from tomorrow (Monday).

Motorists will be charged £3.50 to use the crossing each way – up from the current rate of £2.50.

Motorcycles, mopeds, and quad bikes will still be able to cross without a fee.

Cars, motorhomes, and any minibuses with nine or fewer seats will face the new charge from September 1.

Buses, coaches, vans, and other goods vehicles with two axles that previously paid £3.50 will have to pay £4.20, and vehicles with more than two axles that previously paid £6 will have to pay £8.40.

Discounts are available for pre-pay Dart Charge account holders.

In a statement to Parliament, transport minister Lilian Greenwood said the Dartford Crossing is “one of the most important links in the strategic road network”.

She added: “To manage demand and protect the crossing’s role as a vital component of the nation’s economic infrastructure, a user charge has been collected at the crossing since 2003.

“In 2014, the tollbooths were removed to help make journeys smoother and the charge was increased to help manage increased demand.

“This was the last time that charges were increased for all vehicles.

“In the 11 years since, demand at the crossing has grown 7.5%, with the crossing now used by an average of over 150,000 vehicles 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.

Read more: Man given £424 fine and threat of having furniture taken after being unable to pay £2.50 Dart Charge.

Read more: Dartford Crossing: Why are you still paying the Dart Charge?

“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”.

Campaigners have previously expressed their anger at the fee, with one woman setting up a petition in 2018 to scrap the payment altogether.

The online campaign managed to get 6,700 signatures in just one week; however, the fee remains.