The way motorists pay for the Dart Charge is changing this summer but many have been left asking why they are even still paying it.

The Dartford Crossing fee became permanent back in 2019 despite a previous government promise to drop it once the bridge had been paid for.

Pledges were made 20 years ago to scrap the payments when the debt of the construction of the bridge was cleared.

It was paid off in 2003, yet the fees have remained much to the wonder of motorists.

They were even increased in 2014 when the toll booths were scrapped and the free-flow charging, known as the 'Dart Charge', was introduced.

For each journey across the 2,872m stretch of road, which links Dartford and Thurrock, cars pay £2.50 with larger vehicles paying up to £6.

So, why are drivers still having to fork out for the toll?

In a parliamentary debate in July 2021, then under-secretary for the Department of Transport, Rachel Maclean, explained it is all to do with managing congestion.

The Conservative MP said: “A Road User Charge has been in place at the crossing since 2003 to manage high demand for its use, after a 2001 study reported that traffic levels would be 17% higher if the charge was removed.”

According to National Highways, the authority responsible for managing the road, the crossing is estimated to carry 50 million vehicles a year.

Originally built as a means of easing congestion as traffic grew after the completion of the M25 in 1986, it had an expected capacity of 65,000 vehicles.

Since the opening of the first tunnel, more than one billion cars and lorries are thought to have used the crossing.

Where is the money going?

Speaking previously, a National Highways spokesman said all the money raised by the Dart Charge is passed onto government and ring-fenced for investment in transport.

Accounts for the year ending March 31, 2021, show the income generated was £161.4million, with more than a third from fines.

How can I pay the Dart Charge?

This week, National Highways announced it will be using new a service provider for its payment system.

The changes, along with new banking requirements, mean account holders will need to re-validate their payment cards from July 28, including pay as you go customers.

If motorists do not take action, any crossings will not be paid automatically and could result in a fine.

In 2021, it was revealed more than £1 million could be owed to users of the Crossing whose accounts have been automatically closed due to inactivity.

Others have had threats from bailiffs to pay their fees after claiming to have encountered glitches and error messages with the system.

Motorists are able to pay the charge online, by phone and at various retail outlets, prior to or up to the day after using the crossing.

What is being done to ease congestion?

Plans have been submitted to build the Lower Thames Crossing, a 2.6 mile tunnel connecting Kent and Essex, to help reduce the amount of traffic at the Dartford Crossing.

Speaking in the 2021 debate, Rachel Maclean, added: “Additionally, the Lower Thames Crossing will ease congestion on the Dartford Crossing, by almost doubling road capacity across the Thames east of London through the longest road tunnel in the UK.”

The government announced in March this year delays meant construction would be pushed back two years to iron out planning issues and review inflationary pressures.

The controversial project has been in the works for years and now an official six-month examination into National Highways’ application for a development consent order (DCO) has started.

National Highways has since confirmed that the earliest construction could start near Chalk, Gravesend, is 2026 if the project gets the DCO from the Planning Inspectorate, which has been appointed by the government to independently examine the application.

After being accepted for examination in November last year the project is currently in the pre-examination stage.