Dartford Crossing - toll payment changes from October 2014

Or travel overnight

I wonder what contingency plans they have for vehicles that arrive unaware of the new procedures?

A bit fat fine in the post

Renaming something doesn't change what it is!

I had to use the tunnel, tunnel/bridge for many years, anyone who uses it and the locals know what was promised. The gov and there cronies are pissing on them and calling it rain.

A fee was retained however under the new principle of Road User Charging , which had been introduced in the 2000 Transport Act to use congestion pricing to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours and to fund local and national transport schemes.

Well, that didn’t work did it?

So does that mean that you will have to have a subscription to some kind of "automatic" payment method? Does that rely on ANPR?

How to pay

There will be lots of ways to pay: with a pre-pay account online by text at retail outlets over the phone by post See my first link.

I know several older people who use the crossing every so often who don't have cell phones, internet etc who will have terrible problems with this. One older chap I know likes to take his wife to Ikea at Lakeside. Now he is planning the route to Ikea in Croydon.

To be honest, I used to drive to London frequently but since the congestion charge have not done so. I am sure I am not alone.

I tend to go to Croydon rather than Lakeside even though they are a similar distance. Best to avoid Sunday mornings though.

Isn't that the idea of it?

Yes it is and it is a good move and one that I applaud but I used to go just outside the zone where it was easy to find yourself accidentally in it, I haven't got a clue how to pay the charge though and I am not alone.

I cannot see the fuss, £2 ( not even a pint)may save you 30-40 min on your journey to Watford. You can pay cash when crossing, no cards, no £50 notes!

You're not the only one

There is also this I found from a link in the original post.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.g…olling-service

This seems to indicate that shortly you should be able to use a French Liber-T tag to get through the Dartford Crossing. Which also seems to be hinted at on SANEF UK’s website under their FAQ’s.

3.8. Can I use the tag in the UK at Dartford/ M6 toll/ Severn Crossing?
Not yet! But watch this space…

https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/support/faq

The question is do the regional highway maintenance companies in France like SANEF, APRR, etc, constitute private service providers? Or will you need a separate account through another company to get the benefit? At the moment the APRR site says it won’t work outside France.

https://espaceclient.aprr.fr/faq/Pag…?question=1731

If they were going to change it I would have thought they’d be plugging the benefits to their French customers by now.

Scheme start has been put back to late November for further testing of the system.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/d…remote-payment

Changes from midnight On Sunday 30th Nov, the payment booths will disapear but you will still have to pay - online https://www.gov.uk/government/news/d...remote-payment

For anyone going to the UK.

I'd imagine if you have swiss plates and you 'forget' to pay then there isn't much they can do about it!

Dartford Crossing - toll payment changes from October 2014

Thread merge perhaps

You can pay afterwards if it was a spontaneous trip. The Highways Agency have employed the services of a European Debt Recovery Agency to collect fines from foreign drivers who 'forget' to pay

Ohhh you mean they can send letters with some red ink and even more red ink when they are ignored

Just a reminder for those going back to the UK for Christmas that although the booths are no longer in use there are ongoing roadworks taking place to remove them so still months of disruption ahead. Check here for info on how it may affect your journey.

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/roa…ayment-scheme/

Just how, as many people will ask who make uninformed and spontaneous trips, do you pay afterwards in England if you have no bank account, phone, etc. but are simply travelling through with a credit card or cash in your pocket? No red paying in slips in England (as far as I know).

It appears you can do it online.

I haven't progressed further than linked page, as I didn't want o enter details.

https://www.dartford-crossing-charge...PayforCrossing