Dartford Crossing

For those who, like myself, live in Europe, the Dartford Crossing is indeed 'Foreign Touring!'

I see that with effect from October this year the toll booths and coin machines will be removed to improve traffic flow, and replaced by ANPR cameras, the toll being levied by direct debit from one's bank account after crossing.  Alternatively it may be paid in advance or retrospecitively (up to 2400 hrs on the day of crossing) via internet etc.

The crossings have been initially leased to the French company SANEF for ten years, and according to their website they intend to eventually add a payment option as used on their French Autoroutes, with a transponder mounted on the car.  This will be very useful for us Europe-dwellers, as our French transponders will operate at Dartford, so avoiding a lot of potential problems.

French autoroutes tolls seem to have been stable for ages - it costs me 23 Euros from Calais to home, thanks to the long runs of toll-free autoroute - but they are strictly controlled by the government, unlike toll roads in the UK!  I read that the Dartford crossing was akin to the Birmingham M6 relief road, where the operator can do whatever they feel like, with no oversight.

If they get away with it - and no doubt they will - tolls will steadily climb.

Be afraid . . . be very afraid!


Edited by Mike Fishwick - 22 Apr 2014 at 5:23pm