Increased toll charges on Dartford Crossing commence tomorrow, a 40% hike, even though the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge was settled 22 years ago.
The Dartford Crossing, a vital Thames crossing for HGVs and coaches in the South East, will see a significant toll increase starting from September 1, 2021. This decision has been confirmed by Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary under-Secretary at the Department for Transport (DfT).
The toll for trucks will rise from £6 to £8.40, a 40% increase. Coaches and vans will be levied £4.20, up from £3, marking a 40% increase as well. The increase for cars, motorhomes, and small minibuses will be from £2.50 to £3.50, a 40% hike. Motorcycles, mopeds, and quad bikes will continue to use the route for free.
The Dartford Crossing, consisting of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and two Dartford Tunnels, connects Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent. On average, more than 150,000 vehicles use the Dartford Crossing per day, with daily usage reaching up to 180,000 vehicles during busier periods.
The toll increase is necessary to manage traffic, according to Greenwood. The Road Haulage Association's policy lead, James Barwise, has stated that the price increase will affect HGVs, coaches, and vans significantly.
The Dartford Crossing has been requiring payment since 1963, initially two shillings and sixpence to cover construction costs. In 1999, the Government announced that tolling would end in 2003, but it backtracked on this decision in 2001, citing that making the crossing free would create more traffic. The Queen Elizabeth Bridge was opened to traffic on 30 October 1991 at a cost of £120million, including £30million for the approach roads.
In 2014, tollbooths were removed from the crossing and the online Dart Charge was introduced to make journeys smoother. The last price increase was implemented at the same time as the introduction of the online Dart Charge in 2014. Usage of the crossing has grown by 7.5% in the 11 years since the previous price increase.
However, the AA President Edmund King stated that the charge for the Dartford Crossing should have paid off the construction costs for the bridge in 2003 but has been retained as a source of revenue. The ongoing costs, maintenance, and updated financial requirements beyond initial construction expenses necessitate continued revenue, a common practice for such infrastructure, although specific detailed reasoning for this increase was not provided in the search results.
The online Dart Charge system was introduced in late 2014 to "make journeys smoother." Despite the original intention that the toll would be paid off from the 2003 bridge construction, the toll for trucks at Dartford Crossing was increased from £6 to £8.40 on September 1, 2023.
