UK – The growing anger amongst haulage operators and the public at the excessive rises in charges to use the Dartford crossing, despite successive government promises to ensure free passage through the twin tunnels and across the Queen Elizabeth ll bridge, has resulted in a petition being launched on the government e-petition website yesterday calling for the abolition of tolls for all drivers, including freight delivery trucks.
The new guidelines for opening the toll booths for free passage at times of extreme congestion have been ridiculed by every regular user of the crossings we have interviewed and local haulage groups described the decision made to not allow this until tailbacks reach twelve miles in either direction as ‘ludicrous’.
The government’s own consultation will end on the 23rd September and details of this and how to respond are contained in our article of the 10th July when we illustrated the view widely held by local freight haulage operators that the crossing was to be used as a ‘cash cow’ on a route where there was simply no practical alternative.
As we have repeatedly illustrated in previous articles in January and again last month promises to forgo toll charges made almost fifty years ago have been repeatedly broken by successive administrations and the problems of congestion have worsened as traffic levels on the M25 have steadily risen, particularly as the motorway has been widened of late to accommodate these in a seven year project by the Highways Agency.
If the petition manages to obtain 100,000 signatures it will become eligible for discussion in parliament and anyone, whether associated with road freight or not, can sign the e-petition HERE.
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