Free flow charging at the Dartford Crossing will be introduced one month later than planned, towards the end of November. The Highways Agency said the four week delay is to make sure that new roadside technology works properly and to ensure a website where motorists can register for pre-pay accounts is easy to use.

Further announcements will be made in early October about when the website will launch and the date when free flow charging at Dartford will begin.

“Dart Charge is a massive change for drivers using the Dartford Crossing and it is only right that it is tested before being introduced,” says Highways Agency project leader Nigel Gray.

“We want to help drivers to be ready for the improvements we are making at the Crossing. They will have considerable time to sign up for a pre-pay account which for most will be the easiest and cheapest way to pay the charge – with discounts of up to a third on every crossing.”

Motorists will continue making payments at the Dartford toll plaza until free flow charging goes live in November. Removal of barriers and toll booths will take place soon after and changes to highway approaches will be made over the winter, completing next April.

The Freight Transport Association’s head of road network management policy Malcolm Bingham supports the introduction of free flow charging at Dartford. But he described the four week delay as disappointing. “The costs of this hold up are unacceptable to the freight industry,” he said.

(Photo: Highways Agency)

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