Dartford Crossing charges increased for the first time in 11 years, with one-off car payments rising from £2.50 to £3.50 for non-local or non-prepaid drivers, and larger vehicle fees rising to as much as £8.40. The crossing links the M25 in Essex and Kent and carries about 150,000 vehicles daily, 7.5% more than when tollbooths were removed in 2014. The Department for Transport said previous charges were no longer sufficient to manage demand. Local airport transfer and haulage businesses warned the roughly 40% increase will be passed on to customers and could push up supermarket and consumer costs.
They have risen for the first time in 11 years, from 2.50 to 3.50 for car drivers who do not live nearby or have a pre-paid account, and up to 8.40 for larger vehicles. The crossing, which connects the M25 in Essex and Kent, is used by an average of about 150,000 vehicles each day, 7.5% higher than when tollbooths were removed in 2014. The Department for Transport (DfT) said the previous charges were "no longer sufficient" to manage demand.
Neil Godfrey, owner of the Clacton-based East Anglian Airport Transfers, was "not very impressed at all". He said: "It will have a knock-on effect and we will have to put our rates up, which is not good for business because our customers will have to pay for it. "Traffic isn't going to reduce by putting the rate up, because people will still pay it. I would accept an extra 50p but 40% is an extraordinary amount."
"It's going to work out a lot of money and the charge will get passed on to major supermarkets and then ultimately on to the consumer," he warned. "Does this mean, now that it has gone up, there isn't going to be all those queues at the tunnels? It's not going to stop anyone, because they are still going to use it."
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