General Chat

We use it quite often as im only 5 minutes away from it...i cant stand it, especially after you have payed and have to drive off, always close my eyes at that bit...but dont worry, im not the one driving!!! xxxx

I go to Kent quite often from North London. I know it's a nightmare especially the 'free for all' after getting through the toll booth. There are no lines to follow, it's madness. Apart from the fact I'm forced to pay my £1 after forking out £150 in road tax. It's just another money grabbing scheme. Jo.

So they have to keep the toll booths because if the crossing was free too many people would use it??? Surely you either need to take that route or you don't. I don't understand their reasoning and would guess that more accidents are caused there through people trying to get in front of someone on the exit lanes or else through sheer frustration at being delayed. We seldom travel that way but if we do I always think what a nightmare it must be for people who make the journey daily.

Come on folks, I need your support on this one. Bombard the Highways Agency and your MPs with objections. By the time they've answered half a million letters they might twig that it's unpopular!

Having got held up for 40 minutes a couple of weeks back, just to get through the toll booths, I wrote to the Highways agency to ask how they justify the delay that the tolls cause (thousands of man-hours lost, extra pollution from standing traffic, etc.) Here is their reply: "I refer to your email of 20 October to the Highways Agency about charging at the Dartford River Crossing. Your email has been passed to me to reply. The powers to charge a toll at the crossing expired on 31 March 2003. However, prior to the expiry of these powers, the Government commissioned consultants to investigate the effect that removing charging at the crossing would have on traffic levels. This research, published in August 2001, suggested that use of the crossing would grow more rapidly if there were no charge to use the crossing, which could have an adverse impact on the local community and users of the crossing. The increased use at the crossing could result in longer journey times and discomfort for users while also possibly adding to air pollution. These factors could have a detrimental effect on health, the economy and the environment. As such, in summer 2001 the Highways Agency carried out a public consultation on the proposal to introduce a charging scheme under the Transport Act 2000 (the 2000 Act). The consultation included seeking views on the proposed charging structure. Following this consultation it was decided to implement the charging scheme. The charging scheme came into force on 1 April 2003. Paying to use the crossing is not the limiting factor on traffic at the crossing, but rather the capacity of the crossing itself particularly the tunnels. The layout of the toll plaza is not designed for free flow conditions, and the toll plazas perform an important safety role in controlling the demand and speed of vehicles both through the tunnels and away from the bridge. For instance, southbound there are three closely spaced junctions, and much of the carriageway for through traffic is restricted to two lanes. To allow a free flow of traffic through the plaza area would increase the possibility of accidents occurring, thus leading to more delays. Every effort is made to get traffic through the crossing area as quickly as possible. I do appreciate the frustration that can be caused from sitting in a queue, but it is necessary to balance this against the safety of those who travel on our roads." So the justification is traffic control: why not just cone off a couple of lanes permanently?

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