Transport secretary says performance of Dartford Crossing's Dart Charge is not good enough

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has said the frustrations motorists are facing over the Dartford Crossing since Dart Charge was introduced are “unacceptable”.

Speaking in the House of Commons on 11 June, McLoughlin was responding to a question from Dartford MP Gareth Johnson, who labelled the Dart Charge system’s administration as “woefully inadequate” and said it had “caused misery” for his constituents.

McLoughlin said: “I certainly understand the frustration felt by my honourable friend’s constituents. Indeed, the roads minister has organised a meeting on this subject.

"This is a major change, however, and many people are saying that they are going through the tunnel and over the bridge a lot quicker.”

Ukip transport spokeswoman for transport Jill Seymour MEP has also attacked the Dart Charge. In a statement she dubbed the system as “shambolic”, criticising the confusing payment system and lack of signage around the crossing.

“The situation is totally wrong, and must be addressed immediately. Why should we still have tolls at the Dartford crossing at all, when the construction cost of this project was paid off by the motorist more than a decade ago?,” she added.

Highways England recently apologised for incorrectly taking payment for Penalty Charge Notices from hauliers in relation to the Dart Charge, which by its own rules should have been waived instead as part of an amnesty.

CM has also detailed that third-party payment firm Snap Account, which works on behalf of hauliers, was owed money because of the above administration error.

Snap Account has since launched a petition, titled Dartrage, against the payment system.

An FoI by CM revealed that since its inception at the end of November 2014, Dart Charge has sent out PCNs for more than 44,000 HGV crossings. Of these, £32,600 were aimed at foreign-registered vehicles.