Dart Charge: new Dartford crossing scheme

[Dark Knight]

I have just had to set up a Dart Charge account to allow me to cross the Dartford crossing for work
now instead of paying at the toll booth etc you do it all on line and have to set up and deposit money into an online account which is debited each time you cross?

as I only do this a few times a year, no big deal but I bet its a bugger if you are a local or a foreign haulage company, apparently you have a limited window to pay after crossing or else they fines start

I can see the logic in cutting down the congestion at the crossing

[david63]

They have a similar system in New Zealand but there they also have a booth at the service area before the toll where you can enter your details and pay.

The problem with this type of system is that it costs a fortune to chase up the non payers.

[barney]

140,000 crossings a day David and an estimated 20K of those are foreign registered vehicles.


They make about £120 million a year and it's owned by a French company.

Nice work if you can get it.

[Dark Knight]

that was my thought too
seems counterproductive, but no doubt saves wages and the cost of maintaining the booths etc

[Mervyn and Trish]

Yes I can see the logic in removing toll queues but I can see two issues. First the total impossibility of following up foreign non-payers. And second completely innocent people who go that way once in a blue moon and don't realise they should be paying because no-one is stopping their car to take money from them.

[Stephen]

I have just had to set up a Dart Charge account to allow me to cross the Dartford crossing for work
now instead of paying at the toll booth etc you do it all on line and have to set up and deposit money into an online account which is debited each time you cross?

as I only do this a few times a year, no big deal but I bet its a bug*er if you are a local or a foreign haulage company, apparently you have a limited window to pay after crossing or else they fines start

I can see the logic in cutting down the congestion at the crossing

Nothing will change with car or local haulage companies that use the on screen dart tag. You keep your account in credit and it's debited each time you cross, the same as it was before. The main benefit of the new system with hopefully be less queueing and keeping the traffic flowing.

I've had a dart tag for some years now, and although I rarely use the crossing it just makes sense to have one. The tag is free and fits discreetly under your rear view mirror, the crossing fee is cheaper, it more convenient and there is no time limit on your account credit usage. I stick £10 on my account and set a minimum limit and it sits there until I've used it. Simples*

[Boris+]

This topic came up at a function we went to recently. I understand now that if you don't have the tag (or whatever it's called) you have to go and pay at a nearby facility such as a fuel station which shows the relevant signage.

Em

[Stephen]

Em

Setup an account and do it online.

[Stephen]

Yes I can see the logic in removing toll queues but I can see two issues. First the total impossibility of following up foreign non-payers. And second completely innocent people who go that way once in a blue moon and don't realise they should be paying because no-one is stopping their car to take money from them.

Based on those thoughts Merv and me being inquisitive (nosey) I just contacted Dartford Crossing and put those questions to them. The lady who answered said the new company takes over on Sunday and they are supposed to have measures in place for tracking down the foreign non payers. But going by the tone of her voice and the mmmm's it sounded like you'd have more chance swimming the channel blind folded with a bag of cement tied to your leg than claiming the money back.

So the upshot is as you say Merv, the Innocent UK driver will no doubt get screwed again.

[towny44]

Yes I can see the logic in removing toll queues but I can see two issues. First the total impossibility of following up foreign non-payers. And second completely innocent people who go that way once in a blue moon and don't realise they should be paying because no-one is stopping their car to take money from them.

I think I read somewhere that foreign vehicles are excused from payment, presumably because of the collection problems. Maybe we should invest in some false foreign number plates.

[Stephen]

Yes I can see the logic in removing toll queues but I can see two issues. First the total impossibility of following up foreign non-payers. And second completely innocent people who go that way once in a blue moon and don't realise they should be paying because no-one is stopping their car to take money from them.

I think I read somewhere that foreign vehicles are excused from payment, presumably because of the collection problems. Maybe we should invest in some false foreign number plates.

Not according to my enquiry this afternoon towny. See previous post.

[Boris+]

Hi Stephen,

Ordinarily I would be doing that - but it's only a once in several years trip; so I'm loathe to set up the charge thing.

Em

[Delboy]

Dartford crossing is just introducing a system that is widely used on the toll roads in France and the continent, called the Liber-t tag on the continent.

"Sane now offers their Liber-t tag to UK customers. This makes travelling on Toll roads much simpler as the tag allows you to drive through the tolls without having to pay every time. Instead the electronic tag is placed in your car by the rear-view mirror, this is then scanned at the toll points and the payment is then taken from your bank account via direct debit a few weeks later."

Lorries on the continent are well used to this system, and I am sure the lorry companies will be well used to pre payment, as it nothing for them to travel through a number of different countries in one day.

This system is also used by coach Companies as I recently experienced when we travelled from the UK through France, Switzerland and Italy, at no time did our driver have to part with cash at the tolls.

They don't have any problems collecting payment abroad so don't see why it should be any different here.

We travelled through France on a Sunday and noticed all the Motorway service areas were full of parked HGV's, our coach driver explained that most heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are banned from the French road and motorway network every weekend between the hours of 10 p.m Saturday and 10 p.m Sunday. Also bank holidays

There are exceptions for trucks carrying perishable produce or refrigerated produce, trucks servicing sporting events or trade fairs.

Similar bans operate in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. Cannot understand why we don't introduce this here, save a lot of the congestion on the roads at weekends. Was surprised how clear the roads were in the countries we travelled through.

[Delboy]

Just to add the Dartford crossing is free for cars between the hours of 10pm and 6am. I have crossed just before 6am, and then hit a traffic jam on the Kent side of the M25 which lasted over 2 hours.

The longest recorded traffic jam on the M25 on 29/9/07
By a combination of accidents starting just before the rush hour starting at the M25/M26 junction in Kent and stretching all the way around to St. Albans, the M25 effectively ground to a halt for a length of 60 miles

[Ray B]

The problem with this type of system is that it costs a fortune to chase up the non payers.

From the Thurrock Gazette at the end of February :- HIGHWAY bosses have had to call in a European debt recovery agency to chase nearly 19,000 overseas drivers who failed to pay during the first month of the Dartford Crossing’s new payment scheme.

In total, 18,716 overseas cases are part of 130,306 vehicles not to have paid during December last year.

If they do not pay it soon adds up. Have paid my £5 for trip to Gatwick to join Adonia on line.

Ray