Dartford Crossing Fees Up

[robinessex]

Yet another rob the motorist move. We were promised no tolls when this crossing had been paid for. We now have the ludicrous situation where we sit in huge, artificially created traffic jams, on a newly widened M25, that had just cost circa £6bn to build!! It was widened to (apparently) help reduce congestion !! Is Basil Faulty in charge somewhere?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18159668

[David87]

£2 to go to Kent? Well, I won't be using that anymore.

In all seriousness, it's a fking joke. I'm not bothered about the money part, it's the needless queues that drive me mental.

[E30M3SE]

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask...............

[Bisonhead]

This is absolutely disgraceful and shows the governments contempt for the road-going public and businesses. They have not even provided a decent reason for doing so...if it has brought such a huge boost to the UK economy by ease of access through or past the capital why do they need to charge more for its use?

MENTAL!

[selwonk]

For what it's worth, there is a Government ePetition running here:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1878

[Lucas Ayde]

robinessex said:

Yet another rob the motorist move. We were promised no tolls when this crossing had been paid for. We now have the ludicrous situation where we sit in huge, artificially created traffic jams, on a newly widened M25, that had just cost circa £6bn to build!! It was widened to (apparently) help reduce congestion !! Is Basil Faulty in charge somewhere?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18159668

Once politicians succeed in implementing a new way of extracting more cash from the public, it never gets taken away no matter what lies they told you and invariably gets expanded.

Unless of course it's the 50p tax for extremely high earners, in which case they'll get rid of it post haste. A good demonstration of who calls the shots.

[spats]

David87 said:

£2 to go to Kent? Well, I won't be using that anymore.

In all seriousness, it's a fking joke. I'm not bothered about the money part, it's the needless queues that drive me mental.

£2 to go to Essex? Well, I won't be using that anymore.

I had an email back from when they had a Charges Consultation. I dont know anyone who replied to it who actually said increasing the charges would be acceptable in anyway shape or form. Yet they still went ahead with it anyway.

I'll make sure I have at least one crossing during the free period from now then. Not a bad thing and the money I save will pay for my cup of tea at the Bus.

[Jaguar steve]

Massive ques for the tollbooths and the resultant congestion results in thousands of extra litres of fuel burnt every hour. Every minor shunt in the ques generates additional profit for bodyshops and allows insurance companies to reduce no claims discounts. Every single stop and start causes extra wear and tear on tyres, clutches and brakes.

All of which generates additional revenue for the government so there's absolutely no incentive to for them do anything about it.

[zip929]

selwonk said:

For what it's worth, there is a Government ePetition running here:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1878

Signed, for all the good it will do (bangs head against the wall).

[rj1986]

A few years ago, there was a power failure, which meant all barriers were open for 6-8 hours.
The traffic and tailbacks was also greatly reduced.

What does that tell you...

[valiant]

Local TV news had an interview with the roads minister about the increases and the fact that originally the tolls were to pay for the construction of the bridge.

His excuse was that the tolls were needed so they could fund a new crossing.

Reasonable you may think until he goes on to say that they don't know if going to be a bridge or tunnel or where its going to be sited of when work will start. In other words we'll take your money for decades to come and we'll build a bridge around the year 2074.

[zeduffman]

said:

Electronic charging, which means vehicles will not have to stop, will be introduced in 2014, when the charge for cars will rise to £2.50.

So they remove the need to pay people to man the tollbooths and then plan to charge even more for the privilege? WTF are these people on?

I suppose getting from West London to the Houses of Parliament doesn't direct MPs through the Dartford crossing so they don't have a clue what is going on there.

[pingu393]

I use M11/Blackwall/A2 instead if time permits. Saves some dosh, but adds about 10 mins each way.

Will it still be free at night?

[williamp]

rj1986 said:

A few years ago, there was a power failure, which meant all barriers were open for 6-8 hours.
The traffic and tailbacks was also greatly reduced.

What does that tell you...

It tells me you are wrong. The official line is that the tolls are there to reduce congestion...

[Motorrad]

Who votes for the s that keep these charges in place?

Hang your heads in shame. They told us the tolls would end. This is utter bks because the environmental and social cost of delaying people outweighs any made up carbon saving. This is about extracting money from people.

[Viper_Larry]

Back in 2005, Stephen Ladyman, Transport Minister stated:

"One of the purposes of tolling is that cars are effectively metered as they cross the bridge so it does not exceed its design capacity - it's a safety thing and that's perfectly legal," he said.

Yes, of course, except that the tolls are AFTER the bridge which means that congestion backs traffic onto the bridge rather than metering across it. Therefore, during busy times the tolls should be opened in case the bridge exceeds its design capacity? What a cock...

[anonymous-user]

rj1986 said:

A few years ago, there was a power failure, which meant all barriers were open for 6-8 hours.
The traffic and tailbacks was also greatly reduced.

What does that tell you...

Ah yes, I remember that. When some cheeky Romany types drove a JCB into a substation and blew themselves to bits and left us without any power for 4 days. s.

[RizzoTheRat]

selwonk said:

For what it's worth, there is a Government ePetition running here:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1878

I was about to sign that and I then I realised that if they stop charging they'll just tax something else instead, and as I only go across it 2 or 3 times a year I'm probably better off with the toll I'm alright jack.

[Bisonhead]

selwonk said:

For what it's worth, there is a Government ePetition running here:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1878

Also signed, lets hope the 6500 people who have signed it will be heard. I fear that I agree with an earlier post which says that the goverment have no incentive to stop the charges.

I think sometimes the government forget who has voted them into power...wait a minute...power? Aren't the people we vote in meant to serve the needs of the people of the country? Since when did getting into government mean that the politicals have 'power' and the voters dont?

[AndrewW-G]

We've had something similar with the Mersey tunnels for years, every year it goes up and every year there's a new excuse . . . . . .including "the toll operators have been stealing from us" "we need to subsidise travel for people who don't use the tunnel" etc. etc. etc.