Dartford Crossing fee will rise to 拢3.50 in September
June 18, 2025 by Siobhan Doyle
Car changing is a big deal
Use the Dartford Crossing regularly? Well, from September, you鈥檒l have to pay 拢3.50 to pass through.
The standard charge for car drivers using the Dartford Crossing, which links the M25 in Essex and Kent, will rise from 拢2.50 to 拢3.50 in September.
The reason behind the rise? Future of Roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, said the road was used by as many as 180,000 vehicles each day and that the current charge was 鈥渘o longer sufficient to manage demand鈥.
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What does this mean for all vehicles?
You鈥檒l be impacted least if you live nearby as Greenwood said there would be 鈥渟ignificant鈥 discounts for people living locally. Local residents can pay 拢25 per year for unlimited crossings, up from 拢20 a year.
If you have a car along with a pre-pay account, known as the Dart Charge, you鈥檒l pay 拢2.80 per crossing.
Meanwhile, if you drive a bus, coach, van or other goods vehicles with two axles, you鈥檒l pay slightly more under the changes: 拢4.20. Vehicles with more than two axles will be charged up to 拢8.40.
The fees were last increased in 2014, with Greenwood arguing that the new charges were 鈥渟ignificantly lower鈥 than if they had increased in line with inflation since then.
鈥淚鈥檓 aware that these necessary changes to the charges will be unwelcome news for users of the crossing,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hese traffic levels are well in excess of the crossing鈥檚 design capacity, causing delays for drivers.鈥
Some MPs just see it as 鈥榓nother tax鈥
Under the original construction scheme for the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge (which opened in 1991), tolls were meant to stop when the private finance initiative contract with Dartford River Crossing Limited ended in 2003.
But the 2000 Transport Act had introduced charging schemes for all trunk roads, bridges and tunnels that spanned more than 600m. This allowed the Highways Agency to continue to charge a crossing fee.
Labour MP Jen Craft from nearby Thurrock, who regularly uses the crossing herself, said: 鈥淚 will be writing to the roads minister to ask if there鈥檚 any scope to reconsider it, also asking if there鈥檚 any way of retaining some of the money that鈥檚 raised to fund local public transport.鈥
However, she said she could see the 鈥渓ogic鈥 behind increasing the fees.
Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, Richard Holden, branded the increase as 鈥渏ust another tax on motorists鈥 for drivers who had 鈥渘o other option鈥 but to use the crossing.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand how that鈥檚 possibly justifiable at the moment, and if the minister wants to try and justify that they should have the backbone to do it on the floor of the House of Commons where they can be questioned on it.鈥
Jim Dickson, the Labour MP for Dartford, said the price rise was 鈥渦nwelcome鈥 but said he was glad ministers had listened to his request to ensure Dartford residents would still receive a 鈥渟ignificant discount鈥 for their annual passes.
This week, the Treasury announced it would give 拢590m to the Lower Thames Crossing 鈥 a new tunnel under the estuary 鈥 which would link Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent. National Highways hopes the new road will reduce traffic at the Dartford Crossing by 20%.
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