Why the Rise?
In a written statement to Parliament, Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood MP said current toll levels “are no longer sufficient to manage demand so that the crossing works well for users and local people.”
She pointed to daily traffic volumes that regularly exceed the design capacity of 135,000 vehicles, reaching up to 180,000 at peak. “The need to increase the charges to manage traffic highlights the need for the additional capacity that the Lower Thames Crossing will provide,” she added.
Reaction from the Road Freight Sector
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) described the 40% jump as “regrettable”, warning it will “add to running costs at an already financially challenging time for many businesses … and ultimately pushes up prices for consumers,” according to Policy Lead James Barwise.
Logistics UK echoed concerns in a members’ briefing that higher Dart Charge costs come on top of fuel price volatility and rising wages, urging ministers to expedite work on the Lower Thames Crossing to provide operators with a genuine alternative route.
What It Means for Fleets
- Direct cost impact: Based on a 44-tonne artic making two return crossings per week, annual toll outlay will rise from £624 to £873 per vehicle (assuming pay-as-you-go payments).
- Cash-flow considerations: Operators using pre-pay accounts still benefit from a discount, but the percentage saving falls slightly from 14% to 13%.
- Night-time relief unchanged: Journeys between 22:00 and 06:00 remain toll-free, a window many temperature-controlled and import/export operators already exploit.
Wider Policy Context
The price hike lands just months after the Government approved £590 million of enabling works for the long-delayed Lower Thames Crossing – a project industry groups insist is critical to relieving congestion at Dartford.
Campaigners, however, fear that private financing of the new tunnel could push future tolls even higher than those now confirmed at Dartford.
