How the Dartford Crossing changes will affect fleets

Despite the London Congestion Charge having been in existence for more than a decade, many drivers and fleets just don’t go into central London so have never experienced using the payment technology that underpins the system.

So while there are similarities between the London Congestion Charge and the forthcoming barrier-less payment system for the Dartford Crossing (which incorporates two tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II bridge) called Dart Charge, there will still be thousands of drivers who are new to the system.

Approximately 140,000 vehicles use the crossing per day and they currently stop to pay cash at a combination of manned or unmanned barriers, or pay via an electronic tag, called Dart-Tag, that’s scanned and is linked to an account.

However, this system will be replaced by the use of cameras on overhead gantries and number-plate recognition software connected to the DVLA database to record people using the crossing, as well as remote payment technology, which means that drivers (and businesses) will either have to pay before crossing or afterwards. But the limit for paying after your journey is set at midnight on the day after travel. After that point you will be sent a fine of £35, providing you pay within 14 days.

Remote payment methods are deliberately many and varied so that everyone has a choice that suits them. If you want you can pay manually, in other words by cash or card, at anywhere displaying the Payzone logo. There are thousands of high-street retailers that are part of the Payzone network across the UK. Drivers and fleets can also pay for individual trips by phone, online or even by post. However, the Highways Agency says it does not expect many to use the postal payment system. For those travelling more frequently, the Highways Agency recommends that drivers and businesses set up an account. This will work in a similar way to the Dart-Tag – drivers put money into an account that is deducted automatically each time a crossing is made.

A Highways Agency spokesman says that fleets could run multiple cars on one of these accounts: “You can add more than one car registration to an account and we will consult with fleets to help advise them of how much money they would need in an account for the system to work smoothly.”

The spokesman advises that fleets keep an eye on media outlets for when the Highways Agency publishes a hotline for this service.

While drivers can’t pay by text, if they are an account holder they will be able to add registrations using a text service.

The idea behind Dart Charge is to cut congestion, which builds up at the payment barriers. The spokesman for the Highways Agency says: “The Dartford-Thurrock river crossing is a vital economic link, and the Government is committed to delivering improvements that will help traffic flow better at this crucial gateway, both now and in the future. The introduction of Dart Charge is part of that package and it is vital road users fully understand the opportunities of when and how to comply with the new system to avoid being non-compliant when the new arrangements to pay come into effect from October 2014.”

While an exact date for the changeover has yet been set, BusinessCar has been advised that it will indeed be late October, which gives fleets less than eight weeks to prepare.

To make sure that drivers and fleets will be aware of the changes to the crossing, the Highways Agency is spending more than £1.1m on a public information campaign that kicks off in September.

“In the meantime,” the spokesman says, “we are continuing to use our existing communication channels, including the Highways Agency website and social media, and engaging through the media, to inform people about the changes, and have engaged with a wide range of partners who have provided access to their own channels, including websites, magazine articles, and members forums.

As October approaches, we will be increasing the intensity of our activity to ensure the impact of our campaign is as strong as possible.”

Evasion

The Highways Agency estimates that 93% of UK cars using the Dartford crossing will pay the fees on time. The agency came to this conclusion based on “evidence from similar schemes”.

However, when asked how many drivers are expected to then pay within the 14-day £35 fine period, a spokesman for the agency says: “Non-compliant road users will be issued with penalty charge notices and we estimate that we will fully recover funds in over 60% of cases.”

While it can’t be a direct link, this is also likely to be the percentage who forget or don’t understand the new scheme.

All the funds raised from the crossing are ring-fenced for Government spending on roads.

Dart Charge leasing advice

Rental and leasing fleets will be able to open a Dart Charge account from September, according to the BVRLA. Each account can have up to 9,999 vehicles registered, and creating an account means fleet operators can save up to a third. Plus, fleet managers won’t need to remember to pay for vehicles, as accounts can be automatically topped up.

Setting up an account involves sending a file of vehicle registrations to the contact centre. Ideally this is done online, so it can be quickly processed, but it can also be done by post or phone. There is no charge for the service or for making future changes.

As a vehicle makes a crossing, lasers, number plate-reading cameras and tag readers will identify it to see how much needs to be paid. The system then takes money from the fleet’s account.

The Highways Agency has said that the time from detecting a vehicle to it appearing on an online statement will be under an hour, although this may be longer if the weather is causing poor visibility or if a number plate is damaged, unclear or missing. To avoid delays in notification, rental firms in particular are advised to fit tags that are read electronically rather than visually.

While the system will reduce congestion, there will be road works while the old booths are removed and a new road layout is introduced. This is scheduled to finish in spring 2015.