Drivers have lost over £3.6 million in unused Dart Charge payments over the last two years, with the Government retaining the majority of these funds. According to a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request, there were £1,812,379 in unused Dart Charge payments in the 2023/24 fiscal year, in addition to £1,790,559 from the preceding year, totaling £3,602,938 in unclaimed payments.
The Department for Transport (DfT) disclosed to This is Money, who submitted the FOI request to National Highways, that the Government typically does not refund the expired payments, thereby keeping them. Dart Charge payments, which are £3.50 each way and are utilized by drivers to cross the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent, remain valid for 12 months before expiring.
Drivers have the option to request a refund for Dart Charges within the 12-month expiration period. In cases where Dart Charge accounts become inactive, any remaining funds are reimbursed back to the account holder using the original payment details. The Dartford Crossing sees up to 180,000 vehicles passing through daily.
The DfT stated, “All Dart Charge revenue is remitted to the DfT and is utilized for transport projects benefiting communities in Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing.” The Mirror has reached out to the DfT for further comments. AA president Edmund King noted that the Dartford crossing tolls were intended to cease once the construction costs were covered, a milestone achieved in 2003, but the government opted to retain the charges for traffic management and revenue purposes.
In 2000, the Transport Act introduced charging schemes for all trunk roads, bridges, and tunnels exceeding 600 meters (1,969 feet), enabling the Highways Agency to continue imposing crossing fees. The Government hiked the Dart Charge in September 2025, following the last increase in 2014. This decision comes alongside the approval for the Lower Thames Crossing, aimed at alleviating congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
The new crossing will link the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex via a 2.6-mile tunnel beneath the Thames, set to be the UK’s lengthiest road tunnel. Planning for the project, which commenced in 2009, has already utilized over £800 million of taxpayers’ money.
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