Dartford Crossing Dart Charge will rise in September

Car drivers face the biggest change, with the cost of a crossing rising by up to £1.

The Department for Transport confirmed the increase in Parliament on June 17.

Used by an average of more than 150,000 vehicles a day, the crossing is made up of a bridge and two tunnels and connects Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent.

Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood MP said the rise was needed to tackle congestion. She told MPs: “The crossing now carries over 150,000 vehicles a day and up to 180,000 on the busiest days. Current charging levels are no longer sufficient to achieve their stated aim of managing demand.”

She added: “The need to increase the charges to manage traffic highlights the need for the additional capacity that the Lower Thames Crossing will provide.”

The existing one-off payment for cars, motorhomes and small minibuses of £2.50 will be increased to £3.50.

The one-off payment for buses, coaches and vans with two axles will rise from £3 to £4.20, while the one-off price for vehicles with more than two axles will increase from £6 to £8.40.

Residents of Dartford and Thurrock will continue to get heavy discounts, although the cost of an unlimited annual pass will rise from £20 to £25.

Night-time crossings between 10pm and 6am will remain free, along with motorcycle crossings and the bicycle pick-up service.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The claim that this 40% increase in the charge is all about managing traffic will raise more than a few eyebrows given that those making the crossing have little alternative but to do so.

“Most people will, understandably, and probably rightly, see this move as nothing else but a revenue raiser.”

Edmund King, AA president, said: “Long-distance travellers from the UK and Europe, freight, business and regional users have all been sold down the river by successive governments through the unnecessary perpetuation of tolls and lack of future capacity at Dartford.

“Tolling was supposed to pay for the Dartford Bridge and then end, which would have been in 2003.

“However, it became a nice little earner which raised tens of millions of pounds every year.

“Ramping up the tolls by an extra pound, when the majority of users have no alternative about the time and place they cross the Thames, is simply road charging and a bridge too far.”

James Barwise, Road Haulage Association (RHA) policy lead, said: “Dartford remains the only practical Thames crossing for HGVs and coaches in the South East.

“It’s therefore regrettable that the charge increase has been so significant.

“This adds to running costs at an already financially challenging time for many businesses in our sector (HGVs, coaches and vans) and ultimately pushes up prices for consumers.”

The Government has given the go ahead for the Lower Thames Crossing, which it hopes will reducing congestion on the Dartford Crossing

The new crossing will connect the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex via a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames, which would be the UK’s longest road tunnel.

Work on the project has been ongoing since 2009, and more than £800 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on planning.

The full list of new charges for the Dartford Crossing: 

• Class A – Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes: Free

• Class B – Cars, including trailers, motorhomes and minibuses with nine seats or fewer: £3.50, or £2.80 for pre-pay account holders

• Class C – Buses, coaches, vans and goods vehicles with two axles: £4.20, or £3.60 with pre-pay

• Class D – Buses, coaches, vans and goods vehicles with more than two axles: £8.40, or £7.20 with pre-pay