New Dartford Crossing payment system

[Mpj]

I received a leaflet along with my vehicle excise duty reminder (not starting off Craig and some others by calling it Road Tax ) informing me that all the barriers are being removed at the Dartford Crossing this November. Instead of being able to pay at the Crossing barriers, everyone will have to pay in advance online or by text. There will also be an option to pay up until midnight on the day of travel, again online. Rather like the London Congestion charge there will be penalties for non-payment.

Does anyone know if bikes will now have to pay to use the Crossing (currently free)? or if prices will increase? (most likely and it's meant to be free to all users by now).

 

[nigelphoto]

Some cretinous Civil Servant on £70k a year has dreamed up this wonderful scheme - what happens if you are Johnny Foreigner just come off the ferry at Dover, you'd know nothing about an electronic ticket scheme until you receive a massive fine for non-payment when you get home and think 'Sod, je ne visite pas la terre d'Anglais de voleurs bâtards encore' and you'd go to Germany, or Tenerife or somewhere next year. Why can't they just leave it alone???

 

[Lutin]

Why can't they just leave it alone???

Because they have to try and justify their £70k salary?

Oh, and the same nonsense applies on the Dublin M50 orbital - but at least Motorcycles are exempt.

 

[Lutin]

Why can't they just leave it alone???

Because they have to try and justify their £70k salary?

Oh, and the same nonsense applies on the M50 Dublin orbital - but at least motorcycles are exempt.

 

[hotbulb]

It's probably not a Civil Servant, but some overpaid jobsworth in one of those "Public/Private Partnership" mobs .... worst of both worlds

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[nigelphoto]

It's probably not a Civil Servant, but some overpaid jobsworth in one of those "Public/Private Partnership" mobs .... worst of both worlds

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I bet this has come direct from the DepArtment For Transport or 'DAFT' as its usually known as.

 

[Mpj]

Apparently it is meant to ease congestion at the tolls but the only way you can use the Crossing for nothing on a bike is to use a manned booth (obviously to everyone on here the automated barriers cannot tell if you're on a bike). Not sure how that will work with no people to recognise a bike from a car....

 

[Mpj]

It's probably not a Civil Servant, but some overpaid jobsworth in one of those "Public/Private Partnership" mobs .... worst of both worlds

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I bet this has come direct from the DepArtment For Transport or 'DAFT' as its usually known as.

As I said earlier the Crossing was meant to be free for all users by now but obviously the owners (don't think it is completely/publically owned anymore - in fact I am sure a French company part owns it) make too much money from this. :27:

 

[hotbulb]

As I said earlier the Crossing was meant to be free for all users by now but obviously the owners (don't think it is completely/publically owned anymore - in fact I am sure a French company part owns it) make too much money from this. :27:[/quote]

Same story with the Severn Crossings ...... started at half-a-crown, but only for a few years until the debt was paid off.40ish years later they're French-owned and the toll is £6something! And no prospect of no tolls for many years to come. .....another public asset sold very cheaply to one of the Government's pals . Grrrr!

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[MooN]

Us johnny foreigners Will stick up ze two fingurs at your silly litteul bridge and will go on ze 'holidays elsewhere.

I wonder if their actually capable of tracing a frog plate or enforcing a fine if they were capable of issuing it?

sent via semaphore using both arms

 

[Mpj]

well I have just looked at the Highways agency website and there is nothing about what the new charges will be. There are spelling mistakes/typing errors which is really reassuring, shows a good eye for detail.

 

[Boris]

well I have just looked at the Highways agency website and there is nothing about what the new charges will be. There are spelling mistakes/typing errors which is really reassuring, shows a good eye for detail.

You should move up here.. We had all this sillyness a few years back and then the new Scottish Government saw the light and just abolished all the tolls. No toll bridges or toll roads anywhere in Scotland. The traffic on the bridges has never flowed better (excepting yesterday when a lorry shed 200 litres of diesel on the Forth Road Bridge).

 

[Traveller]

well I have just looked at the Highways agency website and there is nothing about what the new charges will be. There are spelling mistakes/typing errors which is really reassuring, shows a good eye for detail.

You should move up here.. We had all this sillyness a few years back and then the new Scottish Government saw the light and just abolished all the tolls. No toll bridges or toll roads anywhere in Scotland. The traffic on the bridges has never flowed better (excepting yesterday when a lorry shed 200 litres of diesel on the Forth Road Bridge).

Shurley with 200 litres of diesel, traffic flowed better than normal (your name is Shurley isnt it?).

On a more serious note, this (English) government constantly spouts about freeing up the economy from red tape. How much does it cost the economy to hold all those people and goods at a standstill on what is supposed to be a road designed to keep traffic flowing.

With Scotland having the approach to the economy that Boris (Shurley) describes I agree with Scottish government having total autonomy, so long as it is over England.

 

[nigelphoto]

I wonder if their actually capable of tracing a frog plate or enforcing a fine if they were capable of issuing it?

sent via semaphore using both arms

Yes they can: when my daughter came over here a couple of years ago, my Ozzie son-in-law borrowed my car and did 45 in a 30 and got Gatzo'd. I got the penalty notice and I dobbed him in (he's family, of course I'm not going to pay his fine) and three months later when he was back in Sydney he got a letter 'inviting' him to pay £60 and submitting his licence for some points. I think his response started with F and ended with Off but now he has to drive on an International Licence not his Australian one when he visits - and no, he's not borrowing my car again.

 

[MooN]

We'll yes if you narked on him...lol. would they be able to trace a foreign plate though? The last time I was in th UK by bike I was flashed on the m11 doing silly km/h but never heard anything. I've also had parking tickets in the UK on my car and simply ignored them, as they were abusive anyway. This was all some time ago though...

sent via semaphore using both arms

 

[Mpj]

well I have just looked at the Highways agency website and there is nothing about what the new charges will be. There are spelling mistakes/typing errors which is really reassuring, shows a good eye for detail.

You should move up here.. We had all this sillyness a few years back and then the new Scottish Government saw the light and just abolished all the tolls. No toll bridges or toll roads anywhere in Scotland. The traffic on the bridges has never flowed better (excepting yesterday when a lorry shed 200 litres of diesel on the Forth Road Bridge).

There could be something in that. The Crossing causes tail backs for 3 junctions ( I noted yesterday that legislation allows the owners to suspend charges and raise barriers if traffic tails back for 4 junctions on the south side or when they think it will ease traffic. I have never seen it happen in decades of using that Crossing though). Mind you, the M6 toll is usually clear. Hate saying this but someone is making too much money from it

I just wanted to know if bikes will now have to pay which I cannot find anywhere.

 

[Lutin]

I just wanted to know if bikes will now have to pay which I cannot find anywhere.

Maybe a nice email to ask them what the score is?

Oh, and to point out all their spelling mistakes and grammatical errors too.

 

[Mpj]

I just wanted to know if bikes will now have to pay which I cannot find anywhere.

Maybe a nice email to ask them what the score is?

Oh, and to point out all their spelling mistakes and grammatical errors too.

I'll sign it P. Edant for good measure. I have only come across an email address for the Highways Agency... I was about to type they can only point me in the right direction if I should be emailing someone else but we all know how good they are

Give the b*rstard government my email?!? Hmm, i'd better use my work one....

 

[Lutin]

Give the b*rstard government my email?!? Hmm, i'd better use my work one....

Or you could use a one-time email address - Guerilla Mail.

 

[Mpj]

Give the b*rstard government my email?!? Hmm, i'd better use my work one....

Or you could use a one-time email address - Guerilla Mail.

good thinking, I might try that with work emails too....