Toll-free crossing to ease jams? (From Thurrock Gazette)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting TGNEWS to 80360 or you can email us Click here for details »
Toll-free crossing to ease jams?
9:40am Sunday 25th July 2010 in Night Service
Notorious – long queues regularly hold up traffic at the crossing
TOLL booth barriers at the Dartford Crossing could be lifted at peak times, the Department for Transport has said.
It is also to ask the Highways Agency to look at whether new licence plate recognition technology could be used in a bid to ease traffic flow on the notorious stretch.
The Dartford Tunnel and Queen Elizabeth II bridge handle about 150,000 vehicles a day and campaigners say using the crossing should be made free as it has now paid for itself since opening. The crossing currently costs £1.50 for cars between 6am and 10pm.
Comments(25)
TheWizzard
says...
11:18am Sun 25 Jul 10
AuldGit
says...
11:28am Sun 25 Jul 10
jackdt09
says...
11:49am Sun 25 Jul 10
AuldGit wrote:Do you really think because they don't have to pay £1.50 that people who don't need to go anywhere are just going to think 'hmmm might take an unnecessary trip across the Dartford Crossing now its free'?
If everybody thinks it's going to be free at peak times, surely this can only INCREASE the number of vehicles at peak times!
Additionally even if there were loads more cars because of it, its still quicker than everyone having to stop for the tolls and tailbacks for miles and miles because everyone will just go through, no hold up.
itsgary
says...
11:53am Sun 25 Jul 10
wickman
says...
12:02pm Sun 25 Jul 10
Nebs
says...
4:37pm Sun 25 Jul 10
Less "change given" barriers, more "correct money only" barriers. People will soon learn to have the right money.
Monthly fine for the bridge/tunnel operators based on the congestion caused.
Goonerboy
says...
5:37pm Sun 25 Jul 10
BASILBRUSH
says...
8:49pm Sun 25 Jul 10
The delays must cost the overall economy far more than the revenue created.
If number plate recognition is the go, then get on with it. But make sure the police are next to it to catch the tax and insurance Dodgers too.
That doe's not detract from the original promise of a free bridge once paid for originally!
Trainman
says...
11:22pm Sun 25 Jul 10
WHY should we keep paying for something that has L-O-N-G been paid for?
See-the-real
says...
11:32pm Sun 25 Jul 10
Nebs
says...
11:38pm Sun 25 Jul 10
Mr Anory. Jack
says...
7:58am Mon 26 Jul 10
Ever thought about a campaign, to charge the crossing company for your time stuck in jams, the Co. watches you on cctv already, they already know who you are, and how long you sit, stuck in a jam, so, play role reversal time.
As most self employed drivers charge for services, call out times and the like, send the dartford crossing company a bonafide bill for time spent on the bridge.
After all, it`s YOUR time on there dam bridge.
haggydaggy
says...
9:08am Mon 26 Jul 10
Just think how well the traffic would run if they weren't there!!
shallotman
says...
9:57am Mon 26 Jul 10
AuldGit
says...
12:11pm Mon 26 Jul 10
Goonerboy
says...
12:16pm Mon 26 Jul 10
shallotman wrote:Like this idea, original campaign stoppped at protests over the bridge .
Of course we could organise a no payment day. Within two hours the M25 would be at a standstill. Didn't they do this up in Scotland some years ago, their now enjoy a toll-free trip.
jackdt09
says...
12:21pm Mon 26 Jul 10
AuldGit wrote:I think the rush at 6am isn't to avoid the cost, its to try and avoid being trapped in traffic waiting to pay and possibly to avoid the inconvenience of digging out change.
No, jackdt09, I don't think anyone is going to use the crossing simply because it is free, but some will time their journey to avoid the charge, therefore actually increasing peak time use - just as the free use before 6 a.m. seems to cause a mad rush with drivers breaking speed limits to get through before the charge is applied
If there were no barriers then think how easily traffic would flow, not only at the crossing but for miles onto the M25.
The only down point is they would need to up security in case of terrorism as people would drive freely. Some warnings about large vehicles and a police presence should theoretically sort that, though.
MippaChippa
says...
1:29pm Mon 26 Jul 10
VANGE LES
says...
2:10pm Mon 26 Jul 10
MippaChippa wrote:If they got rid of the toll booths, like is being proposed, there'd be no reason for the road to be as wide as it currently is - it could be four lanes on the bridge, 4 lanes thru the bit where the tolls used to be, and 4 lanes going south (just as it is now).
You'd need to have some sort of barrier there - charge or no charge. I don't know exactly how many lanes there are from North to South but 8 lanes down to about 4 on the other side would increase accidents - all converging down to narrow lanes. If the tolls and barriers went altogether you'd need extensive road works costing millions.
And the same could be applied northbound as well.
westcliff willi
says...
3:44pm Mon 26 Jul 10
jolllyboy
says...
4:08pm Mon 26 Jul 10
BASILBRUSH
says...
5:26pm Mon 26 Jul 10
So do you pay road tax when you drive on the continent to your host nation?
You don't pay road tax here either, You pay a vehicle tax. ;)
westcliff willi
says...
10:28pm Mon 26 Jul 10
have you ever wondered how many of the increasing number of foreign registered cars on our roads are insured or taxed either here or in there home country
ST 1
says...
12:50pm Tue 27 Jul 10
And of course, this increased reliance on camera enforcement for speeding, tolls, bus lane use etc. has increased the use of false registration plates, cloning and failure to register vehicles properly. Will we be seeing an increase in policing to tackle this increase and make the system fair for law abiding users?
Just do away with the tolls, remove the booths entirely, and sort out the road layout. It will be far more efficient, quicker, safer, less polluting and no extra big brother camera systems.
APR says...
10:56am Sun 25 Jul 10