Dartford crossing payments at toll booth to be removed from October 2014

I use the Dartford Crossing very regularly and I literally cannot wait until this is in place!

Friday nights at the tolls are a constant nightmare due to the people who are:

1) Too scared to use the automatic booths, so clog the entire A282 behind them queueing for a person for no reason
2) Too stupid to use the automatic booths, so sit there for 4 hours while the rejected coins thing flashes constantly, so clog the entire A282 behind them

I'm also a Thurrock Local Resident so troll along with unlimited free crossings for £20/year
 
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The penalty charge for non-payment will be £70, with a reduced rate of £35 if paid within 14 days.

I hope this will be well signposted at the M1 so those of use who aren't southern fairies can go the long way round without a 'penalty'
 
I'm not crying , merely questioning! £35 is a lot of money for crossing a bridge by forgetting to pay £2? They should have a same day payment let off clause so to speak.
 
breadturbo said:
The penalty charge for non-payment will be £70, with a reduced rate of £35 if paid within 14 days.

I hope this will be well signposted at the M1 so those of use who aren't southern fairies can go the long way round without a 'penalty'
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you can just pay afterwards it says, you have until midnight the following day
 
Yeah wording isn't very clear but it looks like it means you have an approx 24 hour window in which to pay either before or after using the crossing which is progress IMO.
 
Short of removing the tolls altogether (as should have been done long ago) it's only going to improve things.
 
I do use it fairly regularly but try and cross it at least in the morning before 6 simply to save time with the traffic, so if all the above is true then hopefully this will go some way to cut down on the horrendous ques that build during peak times!
 
Friend of mine works at Dartford Crossing as an engineer. I thought this would improve traffic flow massively, but he was telling me it won't actually improve this much, at least northbound. Apparently the tolls aren't actually the cause of the problem, it's the tunnels themselves.

Despite his experience and knowledge to the contrary I'm still hoping it will help things though.
 
Ricochet J said:
I'm not sure why the OP is crying - this is long needed.
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What is long needed is the removal of the toll as the crossing is long paid for. What is also needed is a more eastern crossing to alleviate the congestion and provide an alternative crossing that's not in London when the bridge is closed.

I suppose this is a slight advantage not having to queue for the booths though.
 
I wonder how long it will take scumbags to realise that they can just rob a set of plates off a similar car and get through for free... Like I have heard numerous stories of in the congestion zones.
 
This makes me so angry.

We were told that when a suitable time had elapsed that the charge would be removed, once enough money had been made to pay for the building and then subsequent maintenance of the tunnel.
Then instead of scrapping the toll they increased the charge, stating the booths had to remain in place to ensure the traffic flow was kept at a steady flow.
Not that has gone out of the window and they are removing the booths which is simply as they have worked out how to charge without needing to employ anyone.
 
Mucky_Pup said:
Just velcro your plates on, remove before you get there, and put back on once you're through :p
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I can definitely see unscrupulous delivery drivers that have to use that crossing constantly doing that or a set of plates that they stick over the normal ones for the crossing. If it saves them £20 or £2000 they would do it!
 
This is a really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really stupid idea.

Seriously what are they thinking? by all means add automated/fancy payments but don't remove the option to pay normally, that's an almost criminal level of incompetence! How many traffic jams will be caused by people stopped in the queue attempting to pay via phone?

Do they not understand how many people arrive at the crossing, the M6 toll, the seven toll, etc who didn't know they were there when they set out on their journey? for people who commute every day this will be good but for the average driver this is going to cause chaos.

Do they actually believe that they are going to be able to successfully fine people for not knowing that the public motorway they are driving on has a toll that cannot be paid on the scene? The Simpsons lawyer could kick that out of court...

Absolute stupidity.
 
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