%%UKNIP_ANCHOR_0%% Crossing Toll Hikes Spark Fury
Motorists have been hit with the first england/dartford/”>Dartford Crossing toll %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_1%%rise in %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_2%%over a decade, leaping by nearly 40% on September 1. While ministers claim it’s to ease gridlock, drivers and haulage bosses cry foul, branding it a cash grab.
New Toll Charges Explained
- Cars, motorhomes & small minibuses: now £3.50 (£2.80 with pre-pay), up from £2.50
- Vans, coaches & two-axle goods vehicles: £4.20, up from £3
- Larger lorries & coaches: £8.40, previously £6
- Motorcycles: still free
- Annual passes for locals in Dartford and Thurrock: £25, increased from £20
- Crossings between 10pm-6am remain free
Government Defends Price Hike: Congestion Control, Not Cash Grab
Transport Minister Lilian %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_3%% told MPs that tolls hadn't budged since 2014 despite traffic soaring to over 150,000 vehicles daily—peaking at 180,000 during busy spells.
"This is %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_4%%well in excess of the crossing's design capacity, causing delays, congestion and disruption to local communities," said Greenwood.
Ministers insist upping charges will curb demand and ease jams. They also highlight the urgent need for the new Lower %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_5%% Crossing tunnel between Kent and %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_6%%.
The Toll’s Troubled History & Ongoing Controversy
The Dartford Crossing consists of two northbound tunnels (first opened 1963 and 1980) and the %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_7%% Bridge (1991). Tolls launched in 2003 with promises to scrap them once costs were covered.
Those promises were ditched in 2001, meaning tolls have snarled drivers ever since. Toll booths vanished in 2014, replaced by the Dart Charge—an online and phone payment system—to tackle queues.
Motoring groups and haulage giants slam the hike:
- Steve Gooding (RAC Foundation): "Most drivers see this as nothing but a revenue raiser."
- Edmund King (AA president): Calls the toll "a nice little earner" for the government, slamming the extra pound rise as "a bridge too far."
- Road Haulage Association: Warns rising tolls will push up costs for HGV operators and ultimately hit consumer prices.
- Nicholas Lyes (RAC): Points out tolls should vanish since construction costs were paid long ago, referencing how Severn Crossing tolls ended.
What Lies Ahead: The Lower Thames Crossing
The government is pinning hopes on a new 2.6-mile tunnel under the %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_8%% between Kent and Essex—the UK's longest road tunnel.
Planning began in 2009 with over £800 million spent, but the relief project remains years from completion.
According to ministers, the new crossing will ease pressure on Dartford—if only drivers can hold on through the toll hike frustration first.
