Dartford River Crossing tolls

[verytalldave]

Just come through tonight about 11pm and it was FREE.

Looked it up and its free all night between 10pm and 6am for all vehicles.

Dont remember seeing this in the press or news.

Did you know?

http://dartfordtunnel.toolazy.me.uk/

I KNOW it should be free anyway, but at least its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
Be grateful for small concessions is what I say.............

 

[popuptoaster]

yep tolls went up in the day and became free at night, around xmas i think it was.

 

[st13phil]

I rarely use the Dartford Crossing nowadays but it's useful info to know. Thanks.

Perhaps car and other users ought to start a campaign to get rid of the tolls completely? When I used to use the tunnel on two wheels years ago the technique of stopping the bike's engine, getting off the bike, putting it on it's mainstand, removing gloves, undoing jacket to retrieve wallet (always pay with a note - it took longer), pay toll and then reversing the the process before driving off really got the message across that collecting tolls could cause massive delays

 

[robert.saunders]

I use the Tag, totally convenient and I try to roll up to the barrier and make it lift without actually stopping the car, it can be done with practice

 

[Bear]

Yes it's been free since mid november when the prices were changed.

 

[st13phil]

The best DartTag story I know involved a haulage contractor friend whose yard was in Swanley.

One of their tractor units had broken down on the north side of the tunnel and Alan went out to drag it back. As he gently approached the barrier the DartTag was read and the barrier lifted. Unfortunately for some reason or another the barrier then dropped after his tractor unit had passed through but before the tractor unit behind, being towed on a rigid bar, had also passed through. Result: Alan hears a noise behind and looks in his mirrors to see barrier and actuating gubbins heading into orbit

 

[amwebby]

I use the Tag, totally convenient and I try to roll up to the barrier and make it lift without actually stopping the car, it can be done with practice

Where do you buy those things? I've never bothered before as I don't use the crossing much but it now seems easier than making sure I have a pound coin and a fifty pence piece in the car.

 

[mw_C32]

Where do you buy those things? I've never bothered before as I don't use the crossing much but it now seems easier than making sure I have a pound coin and a fifty pence piece in the car.

http://www.dart-tag.co.uk/nossl/home.php

Google is your friend.

 

[amwebby]

Yes, I found it after posting that. What the site doesn't explain is how it works. Can I leave the tag in the glove compartment? The centre console?

 

[Peter DLM]

..

 

[nick mercedes]

Read the front page a little more thoroughly.

"As you approach the booths your vehicle registration plate will be recognised by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that are installed in all of the staffed lanes"

ANPR is everywhere...

 

[amwebby]

That doesn't show on the home page I can see on Firefox but anyway, that is only a very high level explanation about how it works with no detail; is it RFID or some other technology? Nor does it answer my question about where the Tag must be placed for the toll booths to be able to "see" it.

 

[Peter DLM]

"As you approach the booths your vehicle registration plate will be recognised by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that are installed in all of the staffed lanes"

ANPR is everywhere...

Wow, that was quick.

I realised my mistake and deleted my post. No offense meant.

 

[amwebby]

I can't find that text anywhere on the site and it doesn't really give much information anyway, I doubt the ANPR is used in conjunction with the smart tag but to identify you if you fail to pay. I found out more from Danny Tsang's blog

 

[popuptoaster]

dart tags go on the offside of the screen, in a lil wallet, much like a tax disc, my dads a cabby and has had em for years, only worth it if you use the crossing a lot, i find it easier to just chuck the money in the machine, i can do it without stopping if theres no traffic.

 

[Bear]

The other positive thing they did when adding the free crossing period was to do away with charging extra for trailers:bannana: Makes using a Dart tag so much less hassle than it used to be,before mine only covered the vehicle if I had a trailer they wanted either two tags or the full money they wouldn't accept one tag and pay for the trailer
They currently don't accept euros as far as I'm aware but I wish they did as it might cut down on the wait for foreign lorry drivers,also making the booth windows accessible from both sides would cut down the queues with the left hookers.

 

[robert.saunders]

My Tag is stuck behind the RVM, in its own holder. I just keep it topped up with credit; the display at the crossing advises when it reaches a low threshold.

It used to save me a few pence per crossing (in a car) before the charges increased, but it saves 50p now (£1 charge as opposed to £1.50) so I find it worthwhile, saves worrying about carrying change and I don't use the crossing very much to be honest, but I regularly travel on my way to Brighton every other month or so to visit my folks and use this route from Lincolnshire (A1, A14, M11, M25, M23 etc).

Plus if you're in a little "race" with someone to the tolls, I generally find they don't have a Tag so I get a smug "ooh I'm through before you!" sensation

 

[GRAV888]

dart tags go on the offside of the screen, in a lil wallet, much like a tax disc, my dads a cabby and has had em for years, only worth it if you use the crossing a lot, i find it easier to just chuck the money in the machine, i can do it without stopping if theres no traffic.

They were the ones phased out years ago.
Then they went to ones about 4" x 2.5" that clipped into a clear hard plastic holder.
Now they are 2.5" x 1.5" and stick to the screen behind your RVM.

Trailers are now free (whereas they used to be charged at the same rate as that of the vehicle towing it).

My lorries now cost £3.70 (used to be £2.90)

On average, I put £200 pw on the tags.

 

[amwebby]

i find it easier to just chuck the money in the machine, i can do it without stopping if theres no traffic.

That was easy when it was a single pound coin. Keeping a supply of one pound and fifty pence pieces in the car and finding them as you approach the booth makes it that much more difficult. Add to the the fact that DART is 50 pence cheaper and it's a no-brainer really. Not too keen on the ugly bit of plastic visible inside my car though....

 

[GRAV888]

The other positive thing they did when adding the free crossing period was to do away with charging extra for trailers:bannana: Makes using a Dart tag so much less hassle than it used to be,before mine only covered the vehicle if I had a trailer they wanted either two tags or the full money they wouldn't accept one tag and pay for the trailer
They currently don't accept euros as far as I'm aware but I wish they did as it might cut down on the wait for foreign lorry drivers,also making the booth windows accessible from both sides would cut down the queues with the left hookers.

They have always accepted euros, but the rate they charge is stupid. IIRC, when it was £2.90 for an artic before the prices went up, they were charging €8.
The reason the foreign drivers take so long to pay has nothing to do with euros, it's simply because they have to get out to pay, or jump across to the passengers side. We should have at least 2 lanes for lorries only that accept money on the other side.