Morning:
13°c
10,000 demand scrapping of Dartford crossing tolls
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor02.01.09
THE Government is coming under growing pressure to reverse the 50 per cent increase in the Dartford river crossing charge.
A cross-party campaign of MPs, council leaders, the Mayor of London and small businesses argues that local motorists are being targeted unfairly.
More than 10,000 people have signed a petition on the No 10 website calling for the whole charge - increased from £1 to £1.50 last month - to be scrapped. But there are fears the cash toll for a car or light van to use the bridge or tunnels - the only crossing in the Thames Gateway - could rise further. Critics say the pre-Budget report reveals work has been commissioned to "realise value for the taxpayer" at the crossing. They describe the discount scheme for local residents, which applies to those living 20km away in Thurrock and Dartford but excludes nearby Bexley and Havering, as unfair.
They criticise the Government for scrapping the £1.75million of ring-fenced annual funding for road improvements in Thurrock and Kent.
James Brokenshire, MP for Hornchurch, who is leading the campaign, said: "It's astonishing that in these tough economic times the Government should be viewing the Dartford river crossing as a cash cow for the Treasury."
Boris Johnson said: "I am opposed to this increase and I will continue to push for an expansion of the local residents discount boundary to include Bexley and Havering."
The Federation of Small Businesses said: "We believe the original promise to axe tolls should be honoured."
Tolls were introduced to pay for the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. Those costs were met by 2003, but the Transport Department said charges were still needed to control traffic. The number of vehicles at the crossing fell to 53.2 million last year, the fewest since 2002-03.
A department spokeswoman said: "Having charges helps tackle congestion and revenue is invested in local transport. We allow free travel from 10pm to 6am and a discount scheme gives local residents 50 free crossings a year and a reduced 20p charge on all subsequent journeys."
Reader views (9)
THE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ASK IS THE SIMPLEST - WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING - THEN CHECK WHAT THEY SAID - TEST IT AND YOU WILL NOT FIND IT TO BE TRUE: THIS HOW THE TRUTH IS EXPOSED AND YOU WILL NOT LIVE IN UNDER LIES AND DECEPTION - NO ONE CARES FOR YOU UNLESS 'YOU' START CARING FOR YOURSELF.
- Raj, Leicester
I am dreading next week when everyone is back at work. Since the increase of toll, the queues are now an additional 30 minutes every night - sometimes taking over an hour to get across from Essex to Kent.
Strange how LeCrossing (the operators) have also removed all the leaflets promoting the Dart-Tag which not only speeds the toll booths up, but also only costs the user 1 pound each way.
- Ashley Halliday, Rainham, Kent
Its simply a case of supply and demand and the lack of crossings downstream of tower bridge allows a charge to be levied.
As for Boris Johnson's comment well he scrapped the Thames Gateway Bridge which would have provided an alternative route in East London. His comment also shows his attitude where he cares about private car drivers (abolish western c-charge) while he clobbers TFL Public transport users with record fare increases that are way above the rate of inflation.
Of coure the TGB could be financed if tolls were introoduced to fill the funding gap?
The savings in fuel costs (especially when oil prices go north) will more than outweigh the tolls charged.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
It costs £19m to collect £23m in tolls...
- Arthur Brooke, London
Hope the 10,000 have more luck than the hundred thousand northerners who pay £2.70 each way to cross the Humber.
They've been petitioning for tens of years without anything other than increasing tolls being done.
- Cap, london
The taxpayer - i.e. the motorist has already paid for the dartford Crossing, probably several times over. Offering free late night local bus services is of no use to the majority of people who use the crossing as part of much longer journeys, though no doubt it's very handy for anyone in Dartford who wants to go out for a few beers.
- Paul, London
The only reason there's congestion is the toll booths.
- Harry, GRAYS
Quite apart from the issue of charging for a bridge that has been paid for several times over, the increase in tolls has in fact increased congestion because the cash handling - time taken to pay the new charge £1.50 [find coins/wait for attendant to count and give change] - is much much much longer per car than previously where a £1 coin payment was quickly made and required no change.
This leads to delays and congestion [whether measured as time to go through the barrier or the length of the queue to the bridge and speed of queue].
There are obvious solutions
Get rid of charge altogethe
introduce a pay one way system
or a introdude a pay by Oyster card lane and so get rid of cash handling altogether.
The oyster card has the advantages that it is readily available, the technology is tried and tested and required little modificiation to the tube barrier equipment to use in the area. It will encourage more use of public transport in London in TFL areas and will be quicker.
- Grant, London
"Having charges helps tackle congestion and revenue is invested in local transport".
On the contrary actually. Try using the bridge on a Friday afternoon. the queue starts somewhere back past the A12 and it is all down to people queueing to pay the toll NOT just driving straight through. And as for local transport? There is nothing around the bridge apart from industrial estates. God you must think we are stupid!
- Jimbob, Kensington
