More lorries used the Dartford Crossing after the Government hiked its charges to ‘manage traffic levels’, new data exclusively shared with the Daily Mail shows.
Ministers have masqueraded the 40 per cent Dart Charge increase from Monday 1 September as a means of reducing congestion by encouraging motorists to take alternative routes.
But given the lack of other viable options to cross the Thames when using the M25 to the east of London, motoring organisations have blasted the move as a blatant ‘revenue raiser’ and ‘nice little Government earner’ at the expense of the nation’s ‘easy target’ motorists.
And data collated from the first day of the higher prices suggests that more HGVs used the crossing compared to the week earlier.
It also shows that average traffic levels were unchanged compared to August, and that the average time to use the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge travelling southbound and the two tunnels moving north also increased.
AA President Edmund King described the price hike as a ‘totally unjustified tax on movement’.
Data collated from the first day of the higher prices suggests that more HGVs used the Dartford Crossing on first day the Dart Charge was increased compared to a week earlier
From the beginning of September, one-off payment for cars, motorhomes and small minibuses to use the Dartford Crossing has been increased from £2.50 to £3.50.
All other road users have also been stung by a 40 per cent hike, with coaches and vans levied £4.20 – up from £3 previously – and business operators with HGVs forking out £8.40, up from £6.
Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes will still be able to use the route free of charge.
Local residents who previously paid £20 a year to use the Dartford Crossing as many times as they wanted now fork out £25 as a result of the increase.
Journeys made between the hours of 10pm and 6am will continue to be free.
With 150,000 vehicles typically using the crossing each day – and up to 180,000 on the busiest days – Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport, claimed in June that raising the Dart Charge was a decision purely aimed to ‘manage traffic’.
But data collected from vehicles by telematics company GeoTab suggests that the Dart Charge increase is doing little to alleviate congestion at the busy pinch point.
Motorists from 1 September 2025 face a 40% increase in costs to use the Dartford Crossing
Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary under-Secretary at the DfT, in June confirmed the price increase for the Dartford Crossing from September, saying it was necessary to ‘manage traffic’
In fact, more trucks crossed on Monday 1 September than they did a week earlier, showing that companies are ‘simply paying more rather than avoiding the crossing altogether’.
According to vehicle location data gathered using GPS, average crossing times and speeds recorded on Monday were almost identical to the typical August levels, proving there has been ‘no immediate congestion relief’ as a result of the hiked charges.
Data gathered by GeoTab shows that around three quarters (78.4 per cent) of all HGV journeys on the Dartford Crossing on Tuesday 26 August [Monday 25 August was a bank holiday] occurred during peak hours between 6am and 10pm, which is the period when charges are highest.
However, on 1 September, 85.2 per cent took place during these peak hours.
‘This shows operators are not shifting to cheaper off-peak travel, so the revenue increase will come straight from logistics companies’ pockets,’ the telematics firm told the Daily Mail.
That said, the data does support the theory that traffic volumes are on the rise at the crossing – especially for trucks.
HGV journeys peaked in July, with volumes 15 per cent higher than the February low.
The data collected from lorries also shows that average crossing times have jumped by 18 per cent from March to July.
Historical data shows that the average speed when crossing had fallen from 45mph in January to 43mph in July.
The figures also show that Friday is the slowest day, with average crossing times hitting nearly three minutes due to the ‘Friday getaway’ mix of commercial and private traffic.
Ms Greenwood claimed traffic levels during peak times were ‘well in excess of the crossing’s design capacity’.
She added that this had been ‘causing delays for drivers using the crossing, congestion and journey disruption to drivers on the M25 and a range of knock-on impacts for local communities’.
AA President Edmund King said: ‘Most drivers don’t have another alternative so a hike in the toll is totally unjustified and a tax on movement’
When we shared this information with Edmund King, the AA President told the Daily Mail: ‘The Dartford Crossing and M25 is the most important national infrastructure for most hauliers. Even hauliers from Scotland tell us the Dartford Crossing is essential for taking fright to the southern ports.
‘Before the crossing and M25 they had to go via London or on unsuitable rural roads.
‘The crossing is not an optional extra but is essential for many freight and passenger journeys.
‘Most drivers don’t have another alternative so a hike in the toll is totally unjustified and a tax on movement.’
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: ‘It will come as no to surprise to anyone, except perhaps those continuing to argue that the charge is about reducing congestion, that the volume of freight traffic is, if anything, slightly up week on week.
‘Yes, the country is getting back to work after the summer break so some additional cars and lorries might have been expected this week but more generally what alternatives have hauliers got other than to pay the increased fee which, ultimately, will be passed on to customers and result in higher prices for goods at the shops?
‘What might make a difference longer-term is the building of the Lower Thames Crossing.
‘Until that day arrives regular jams at Dartford are here to stay, the only difference being that drivers are paying more this week than they did last week to sit in them.’
The Queen Elizabeth Bridge was opened to traffic on 30 October 1991 to the tune of £120million. This included £30million for the approach roads
James Barwise, policy lead at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), 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 crossing, which is made up of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge travelling southbound and the two Dartford Tunnels when heading north, connects Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent.
Drivers have been required to pay to use the Dartford Crossing since the first tunnel opened in 1963.
At the time, this was two shillings and sixpence in a bid to cover the cost of its construction under the Thames.
Motorists continued to pay at tollbooths until the introduction of the online Dart Charge system in late 2014, which was designed to ‘make journeys smoother’. This was also when the last price hike was implemented to ‘help manage increased demand’.
However, ministers claim that in the 11 years since the previous price increase, usage of the crossing has grown by 7.5 per cent.
In July, Kent Country Council leader Linden Kemkaran wrote to Ms Greenwood in opposition to the hike.
‘This is the only crossing option east of London until the Lower Thames Crossing is open (in 2032 at the earliest) and so Kent residents and businesses have no viable alternative when using this important route,’ the open letter said.
‘The alternative is to drive into Greater London, potentially incurring a further charge for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and the paying even more (£4 each way) to use the Blackwall or Silvertown tunnels.’
In 2014, tollbooths were removed from the crossing and the online Dart Charge introduced to ‘make journeys smoother’. The last price increase was implemented at the same time
In 1999, the Government announced that tolling would end in 2003 – but it backtracked on this two years later, stating making it free would create more traffic
The trunk road crossing opened in three stages.
The first west tunnel was completed in 1963 and – to cope with increasing traffic volumes – the east tunnel was built in 1980.
The two tunnels are 1,430 metres long.
The Queen Elizabeth Bridge was opened to traffic on 30 October 1991 to the tune of £120million. This included £30million to lay the approach roads.
In 1999, the Government announced that tolling would end in 2003 – the date it estimated the bridge would be paid off.
But it U-turned on this decision just two years later, citing that making the crossing free of charge would create more traffic.
Edmund King said it has been retained as a ‘nice little earner which raised tens of millions of pounds every year’ ever since.
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