Dartford crossing

[Mr Jenks]

Having just read the leaflet sent with my road tax reminder, they say prepayment/abolition of pay at barrier will be October. I need to go through the tunnel tomorrow and logged onto the gov.uk website and googled dart charge. Everything there now says end November. Can any regular tunnel users confirm how I will have my pants pulled down before being a**e f****d by the government again? When do the charges increase to cover this money saving scheme as well?

[Far Cough]

You will queue politely for ages (unless you go through at an ungodly hour)and then the nice person in the booth ( who are all on a go slow as they are about to lose their jobs ) will relieve you of your hard earned cash without an apology or empathy for being held to ransom........ and then they will enforce you dive at 50mph because all the cameras are now live. Happy travels

[Mr_B]

So from the 30th of November things will change and maybe improve ? Something needed to change, every single day there is miles of traffic sat there waiting to pay this charge.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/date-set...

[e21Mark]

Mr_B said:

So from the 30th of November things will change and maybe improve ? Something needed to change, every single day there is miles of traffic sat there waiting to pay this charge.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/date-set...

I used to dread having to drive to Essex because of the bottle neck the tolls caused. Obviously it's sad that jobs will be lost, but it's about time a better solution was put in place.

[Bob Upundown]

Just changed my Dart-tag account to the new charging system at Dartford. Looked at the terms and conditions, they get rid of all the toll staff and then put up the charges by 50p for cars & vans.So from the 30th November instead of sitting in 30 minutes of traffic each time you cross you will be charged £2.50 for a car £3.00 for a van £6.00 for lorries. Is this to pay for all the foreign vehicles who will not pay we get ripped off again.

[fatboy18]

Well I now will Not ever be using it

[Laurel Green]

£570.00 per year for a light-goods vehicle(assuming one has registered for Dart-Tag). Makes one wonder why we are also charged for vehicle excise duty(or whatever it is now called).

[fatboy18]

Well you know what the French would do about something like this? Blockade it until the Government is forced to do something about it.

[Escort Si-130]

It is generally a piss take that the toll is not removed and these so called other road projects the money from it is meant to be used for we never get a detailed description of it.
I fail to used the Dartford crossing many times, because of traffic and it being a fkin rip off. I would rather drive via Blackwall tunnel instead.

[Bob Upundown]

You say you will use the Blackwall Tunnel instead, Boris wants to put a toll on that to fund a new bridge, with a toll attached at Thamesmead. The one that has been talked about for at least 30 years. But we can have a new bridge with a garden on it at tax payers expense in the center of London.

[iva cosworth]

Escort Si-130 said:

I would rather drive via Blackwall tunnel instead.

Have you ever seen the queues ,the queue jumping antics at peak times,mainly going north bound.

Pigging hate the Blackwall but have no choice depending on route of deliveries on the day.

[StangGT]

I've used it 6 times in 3 months. So that's £10.02 of crossing charges. For that I've had to pay £30 into my account ... It's pi**take!

[Riley Blue]

However, if you're in a car, each crossing costs £1.67 rather than £2.50 if you open an account.

[StangGT]

It was £1.50 before though wasn't it?

[Riley Blue]

Before October 2012, yes. After that it was £2.00.

[AW8]

I strongly advise folk to create accounts. I didnt and paid after use but later got a demand which when queried I was told the payment department dont deal with disputes and told me I nedded to appeal in writing.

Since sorted as such but it was down to their error in taking a crossing payment without asking me to pay additionally pay the repective additional late payment fee.

Basically lots of hassle.

[iva cosworth]

Sounds like a complete PITA having to have an account for using the crossing probably less than 10

times per annum.

I also have to set up an account if I want to visit some bits of Sweden on holiday.

[Riley Blue]

I thought the opposite; easier to set up an account than remembering to pay after each crossing and having to bugger about to do so - and I'll probably make no more than four trips each way this year.

[Red Devil]

Riley Blue said:

I thought the opposite; easier to set up an account than remembering to pay after each crossing and having to bugger about to do so - and I'll probably make no more than four trips each way this year.

Why wait until afterwards and risk timing out or forgetting altogether? Do it before you leave on each trip.

Dartcharge webpage said:

Price per crossing: £2.50

How many crossings do you need to pay for?
A crossing is a single journey over the bridge or through the tunnel.
A return trip is 2 crossings.
These crossings are valid up to a year or till they are used.

There is no need for infrequent users to set up an account. Just put the number you need in the box.
For example, if for some reason you need to make 2 return journeys the same day, enter 4.

It's hardly rocket science.

[Riley Blue]

Red Devil said:

Riley Blue said:

I thought the opposite; easier to set up an account than remembering to pay after each crossing and having to bugger about to do so - and I'll probably make no more than four trips each way this year.

Why wait until afterwards and risk timing out or forgetting altogether? Do it before you leave on each trip.

If there's a hold up I sometimes divert through the Blackwell Tunnel. If I pay before I leave home I've donated £2.50 for nothing. I'd far rather have £1.67 knocked off my account when I've definitely used the bridge or tunnel.