What are the Recent Dart Charge Issues?

Overwhelmed Call Centres and Online Payment System:

The recent upgrade to the Dart Charge payment system has caused a huge backlog to road users attempting to pay their Dart Charge whilst the systems have been down for a number of days. Since going live again, there's beena surge in traffic to the Dartford Crossing's call centres and Dart Charge online payment platform. This overwhelming demand has led to severe congestion, causing delays in processing payments and providing customer support. Mind all the puns.

This image was sourced from the official Dart Charge Facebook Page, and as such, belongs to them. 

Backlogs and Payment Delays:

The payment system upgrade has resulted in a massive backlog of unpaid charges. Hoards of road users are racing to pay their dues before getting slapped with fines, but many are experiencing delays in processing their payments, causing uncertainty and anxiety. The techies manning the Online Dart Charge servers had to introduce a temporary queue in an attempt to stop the server from being swamped and crashing.

The Dart Charge payment has now had a new extension

Originally, road users who had used the Dartford Crossing toward the end of July were told they'd have until midnight on Monday 1st August to settle their debts, with many knowing what comes if they forget to pay the Dart Charge within its normal payment terms - 'pay by midnight tomorrow'. With the huge payment issues that road users - UK wide and local users in Kent - have experienced, National Highways have recently declared a whole new payment extension to help relieve the public's concerns. They have now given the final payment deadline as Tuesday 15th August

MPs race to the public's concerns over the Dart Charge

Notably, Laura Trott, MP for Swanley, has recently reached out to her constituents who live nearby the Dartford Crossing in North Kent, has publicly said:  

"I am aware of the current difficulties drivers are experiencing paying the Dart Charge for using the Dartford Crossing. This is because National Highways has introduced a new system to manage payments and therefore account holders have to revalidate their payment details." 

"I am pleased National Highways have as a result extended the deadline so that anyone who has made a crossing between 27 July and 14 August will have until 15 August to pay the charge. I understand this is deeply frustrating but I hope the deadline extension will reassure those currently unable to access the website and customer contact centres.". 

Great news for everyone. The public have now been given a whole fortnight to be able to access the online payment system as well as the Dartford Crossing Call Centres. The busy workers and techies over at the call centres and the server rooms will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief, too.

What is the Dartford Crossing's History?

The Birth of the Dartford Crossing:

The Original Dartford Tunnel: The idea of London's eastward-most Thames river, crossing from Kent's Dartford to Essex's Thurrock, was proposed by the Ministry of Transport in 1924 to relieve other routes and create a shortcut from Kent's ports to the North of the UK. The tunnel and was opened to traffic in 1963, catering only for a single lane of traffic in each direction.

Expansion with Dartford Crossing's Eastern Tunnel:

Due to rising traffic levels, construction of the second tunnel, the Eastern Tunnel, was approved in 1971. It opened in 1980, allowing each tunnel to handle one direction of traffic with two lanes each. Connection to the M25 was completed, leading to increased daily demand.

The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge:

In 1991, the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. It provided a vital link and increased capacity for the crossing. With the completion of the M25, the daily traffic demand had grown significantly. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge is what road users mostly picture when they think of the Dartford Crossing.

Dartford Crossing Users Will Be Pleased To Hear of the Dart Charge Deadline Extension.

Despite the recent challenges with the Dart Charge payment system, National Highways' efforts to address the issues and seek solutions offer hope for a smoother and more efficient payment experience at the Dartford Crossing. Commuters and travellers can look forward to improvements that will ensure a seamless crossing at this critical transportation link.