Dartford Crossing

Quite a few years ago when we used to regularly used to make the crossing from Essex to Kent either in the tunnel or on the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, we used to have to queue up and pay at the toll-booth. 

So I invested in the Dart Charge scheme that meant you paid up front and registered the vehicles that you would be using, and it subtracted it from your account. Paying upfront also meant they gave a discount.

Last year they emailed and said that the account was being closed as we hadn't used it for over a year.  I have been through the tunnel northbound and over the bridge southbound several times but since around 2009 it has been free to motorcycles so that didn't count. They paid me back £1.59. How they got that figure I have no idea, but the discounted fee for a car is £1.60....

When we got the Juke, the ex-demonstrator from KAP in Folkestone, knowing we are going to Norfolk in August, I tried to register the new car. The system said it was already registered.  We told KAP and they said they'd deal with it. Why the demonstrator car was registered for a crossing 60 plus miles away is a moot point.

This week I tried again and it allowed me to register and setup the pre-payment system. So I'm a tenner down before we go anywhere.  No worrying about paying the toll after the event though.

Unlike the "old days" there are no barriers and toll booths you simply drive through and the ANPR cameras do the rest.  

I would have preferred an Emovis Tag system but the sheer numbers of cars  would be too much for the system to cope with. I have read about people being sent fines because someone cloned their plates and ANPR matched the number to a car and it either wasn't registered at all or their account was drained.

Scammers everywhere.