Jackie Doyle-Price speaks out over Dartford Crossing charges

2:25pm Monday 28th January 2013 in News By Gazette reporter

MP: Scrap Dartford Crossing tolls for Thurrock residents MP: Scrap Dartford Crossing tolls for Thurrock residents

THURROCK residents should not pay to use the Dartford Crossing, an MP has said.

Jackie Doyle-Price, Tory MP for Thurrock, has renewed calls to make the crossing free for people living in the borough after a Government consultation was carried out on “free-flow” proposals for the toll road.

Chancellor George Osborne announced at the end of last year that more than £150million will be spent reducing congestion on the M25 from 2015.

The cash will improve junction 30, just north of the Dartford Crossing which is where the A13 crosses the motorway. The area is frequently clogged up as it is close to the toll bridge as well as the popular Lakeside shopping centre and the logistics hub of Tilbury Port.

A new “free-flow” system, designed to take payment through text message, phone, online and in shops instead of making drivers stop to pay, is expected to be introduced in 2014.

However, Ms Doyle-Price said people living around the notorious bottleneck should not have to pay the fee at all.

Currently, residents in Thurrock and Dartford are entitled to a discounted toll.

The Dartford Crossing opened in 1991 and was originally going to be free once the costs of building it had been recouped. However, the charges remain as legislation passed by the Labour government deemed it a “congestion charge”.

Ms Doyle-Price added: “The tolls were meant to be lifted once the construction costs of the 

Comments(34)

perini says...
2:57pm Mon 28 Jan 13

No-one should pay tolls for using the Dartford Crossing - if tolls were scrapped the bottle-neck is got rid of and traffic will flow a lot better. Don't I remember one of our lying, thieving, cheating MP's promising that once the crossing was paid for it would be free to use?

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sooty31 says...
3:20pm Mon 28 Jan 13

yes i remember reading that the crossing would be free when paid for. just typical of politicians to go back on their word.
maybe one day someone will have the courage to end them.

but i wont hold my breath

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lennyfy says...
3:20pm Mon 28 Jan 13

It should be Toll Free for everyone, as for being a congestion charge its the toll booths that cause the congestion. Problem is being British we just shrug our shoulders and pay up if this deception had happened in France they would have blocked the road until the booths were removed.

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DogsMessInLeigh says...
3:29pm Mon 28 Jan 13

I don't pay there is a way round the charge i just go anti-clockwise to get to Bluewater or Gatwick and the south coast...simples.

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perini says...
3:35pm Mon 28 Jan 13

DogsMessInLeigh wrote:
I don't pay there is a way round the charge i just go anti-clockwise to get to Bluewater or Gatwick and the south coast...simples.
The additional mileage and petrol would easily be negated by using the crossing!

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GentleGiant says...
3:56pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Not sure why Thurrock residents should get it free.

Still we have Labour to thank that we are still paying as they went back on the original plan to scrap the tolls once the bridge was paid for,

Another Labour legacy that costs us money.....

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ebagumtrebor says...
4:03pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Never going to happen. The amount of money the government makes out of this means that the £150 million proposed to be spent on improvements in 2015 will already be more than covered by what the government will take from the tolls this year and half of next year. The tolls are expected to increase by that time to £2.70 for a car. Similar percentage increases are expected for all other vehicle classes. Inshort it's another cash cow and isn't going to go away.

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j-w says...
4:18pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Its amazing how many people remember that the bridge "was going to be free when paid for" but not one person can find any evidence of it either in official pronouncements, papers or media. It is an urban myth.

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mys842 says...
4:28pm Mon 28 Jan 13

DogsMessInLeigh wrote:
I don't pay there is a way round the charge i just go anti-clockwise to get to Bluewater or Gatwick and the south coast...simples.
:-) I guess you're joking?! If not, there are quicker ways, e.g. down the A13 to the Blackwall Tunnel and then A2 back up M25!

Aside, it's very unfair that West London is so well connected with bridges, but East London is held back by having so few crossings, the main one being a toll. Essex and Kent could benefit from more bridges, not less and the toll needs removing altogether.

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j-w says...
4:28pm Mon 28 Jan 13

There was an initial 6 year toll period (but nothing to say there would be no further period after this initial period), which could be extended by the Secretary of State and has been.


http://www.legislati
on.gov.uk/ukpga/1988
/20/contents

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Royr says...
4:47pm Mon 28 Jan 13

http://news.bbc.co.u
k/1/hi/england/29052
25.stm

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jvoodoo says...
5:00pm Mon 28 Jan 13

I get fed up with no-one fighting the motorists corner, right from the start, if there are too many people and therefore too much traffic, then something has to be done! the tolls increase as time goes by, and the conditions, and congestion increases, we should not have to accept this! But we do because no-one stands up for us, spineless useless mp's, etc etc etc.................
. Good luck to the locals.

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Mitichal says...
5:06pm Mon 28 Jan 13

The tolls are an absolute abomination. They should be removed immediately to relieve congestion pressure in that area. Getting the traffic flowing freely will help the whole area, plus business and lorry traffic would benefit. I think we need a politician to take this on instead of running away.

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shallotman says...
5:47pm Mon 28 Jan 13

As we can not trust MP's. All refuse to pay. What could they do.

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eddicaine says...
5:49pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Why should local residents get preferential treatment, they already get a discount. Free tolls for all or no one.

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mikepaterson says...
6:09pm Mon 28 Jan 13

As the crossings were originally paid for by the taxpayers of Essex and Kent, then I think all residents of Essex and Kent should have free crossings. I see no justification for that to be limited to people living in Thurrock.

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Thurrock Trojan says...
6:34pm Mon 28 Jan 13

I daresay the only reason why Jackie Doyle-Price has raised this issue is because her constituents probably raised it during her Saturday Surgery in McDonald's.

The tolls should be free for everyone, not just Thurrock and Dartford residents.

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Ian P says...
7:03pm Mon 28 Jan 13

shallotman wrote:
As we can not trust MP's. All refuse to pay. What could they do.
Leave the barriers closed maybe.

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whataday says...
7:17pm Mon 28 Jan 13

mikepaterson wrote:
As the crossings were originally paid for by the taxpayers of Essex and Kent, then I think all residents of Essex and Kent should have free crossings. I see no justification for that to be limited to people living in Thurrock.
Exactly

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notinwestcliffanymore says...
7:31pm Mon 28 Jan 13

THE TOLLS SHOULD REMAIN !!!! but only for all non uk registered vehicles (if that is eu legal which i doubt) failing that all the polak and other lorries should be made to pay a temporary road fund licence when departing the ferry.

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jolllyboy says...
7:59pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Going the other way - fantastic - but it could take a while to get to work !

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eddicaine says...
8:09pm Mon 28 Jan 13

perini wrote:
DogsMessInLeigh wrote:
I don't pay there is a way round the charge i just go anti-clockwise to get to Bluewater or Gatwick and the south coast...simples.
The additional mileage and petrol would easily be negated by using the crossing!
Yet right, good idea if you live in Grays

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kev1956in says...
9:03pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Mitichal wrote:
The tolls are an absolute abomination. They should be removed immediately to relieve congestion pressure in that area. Getting the traffic flowing freely will help the whole area, plus business and lorry traffic would benefit. I think we need a politician to take this on instead of running away.
not much chance of that.

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Nebs says...
9:49pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Instead of a campaign to remove the tolls on the Dartford crossing, which will just fall on deaf ears as few MP's use it, how about a campaign to impose tolls on EVERY bridge over the Thames and through the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels. That would get a few peoples back up, and would draw attention to the unfairness that the residents of Kent and Essex have to suffer.

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maddriver says...
11:43pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Nebs wrote:
Instead of a campaign to remove the tolls on the Dartford crossing, which will just fall on deaf ears as few MP's use it, how about a campaign to impose tolls on EVERY bridge over the Thames and through the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels. That would get a few peoples back up, and would draw attention to the unfairness that the residents of Kent and Essex have to suffer.
What that would do is raise even more money for the Government. The idea would probably appeal if they thought they could get away with it. If your line of thinking is that MPs would object to the charge, they would simply add it to expenses as they no doubt do now for the Dartford tolls.

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maddriver says...
11:48pm Mon 28 Jan 13

There is a point to be made here that residents of Dartford and Thurrock already get 50 free journeys per year and any further journeys are charged at 20p, so this is hardly an MP doing a massive service for constituents.

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Thurrockbob says...
5:10am Tue 29 Jan 13

DogsMessInLeigh wrote:
I don't pay there is a way round the charge i just go anti-clockwise to get to Bluewater or Gatwick and the south coast...simples.
I have just phoned the village and told them, their idiot has been found!

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Nebs says...
7:50am Tue 29 Jan 13

maddriver wrote:
Nebs wrote:
Instead of a campaign to remove the tolls on the Dartford crossing, which will just fall on deaf ears as few MP's use it, how about a campaign to impose tolls on EVERY bridge over the Thames and through the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels. That would get a few peoples back up, and would draw attention to the unfairness that the residents of Kent and Essex have to suffer.
What that would do is raise even more money for the Government. The idea would probably appeal if they thought they could get away with it. If your line of thinking is that MPs would object to the charge, they would simply add it to expenses as they no doubt do now for the Dartford tolls.
It wouldn't raise a penny, as it would never get passed. It isn't the MP's who would object, it is everyone else who uses the bridges in London, and would draw attention to the unfairness of the Dartford Toll.

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jinksbella says...
12:09pm Tue 29 Jan 13

I can recommend the local residents scheme which does work out very cheap. It's not difficult to do and once you have done it the barriers automatically raise as you approach. We don't cross the river alot but at £2 a time you soon gain. I do agree that the tolls should be free but it is a money raiser pure and simple.

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thurrock_citizen says...
12:57pm Tue 29 Jan 13

maddriver wrote:
There is a point to be made here that residents of Dartford and Thurrock already get 50 free journeys per year and any further journeys are charged at 20p, so this is hardly an MP doing a massive service for constituents.
We do not get 50 free journeys, its £10 per year for 50 and then 20p for any other crossings. I think the current scheme is minimum us residents should get.. not sure how many people get stuck in traffic due to the crossing. The 50 crossing for £10 does not make up for that. Maybe we should get a percentage (off our council tax bill) for every vehicle that uses the crossings.

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southchurch bob says...
2:06pm Tue 29 Jan 13

perini wrote:
No-one should pay tolls for using the Dartford Crossing - if tolls were scrapped the bottle-neck is got rid of and traffic will flow a lot better. Don't I remember one of our lying, thieving, cheating MP's promising that once the crossing was paid for it would be free to use?
I agree perini, this should be free to all it has paid for its self ten times over.

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Letmetryagain says...
2:41pm Tue 29 Jan 13

DogsMessInLeigh wrote:
I don't pay there is a way round the charge i just go anti-clockwise to get to Bluewater or Gatwick and the south coast...simples.
I know someone years ago who did that by mistake.
Came away from Wembley arena, to get back to Southend, and went anti-clockwise.

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Lozinsx says...
7:24pm Fri 1 Feb 13

Its a good vote winner making this call, are elections due soon?

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Lozinsx says...
7:27pm Fri 1 Feb 13

And if it cannot be free it would be nice if they gave the reduced price for Thurrock residents to all, and not to just the car drivers.

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