Drivers charged more than £4 million by accident over last year at Dartford Crossing

A total of 59,007 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were cancelled in the year following National Highways' switch to a new payment provider for the crossing.

This was a significant increase compared to just 3,595 charges cancelled in the previous year.

The cancelled PCNs had a combined value of £4.1 million at the time they were issued, with each penalty set at £70, or £35 if paid within 14 days.

National Highways awarded a £150 million contract to private company Conduent in July 2023 to handle payments for the crossing, which links Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent.

After Conduent took over, some drivers were fined or charged incorrectly due to vehicles with similar registration plates crossing the toll, even though the vehicles involved were not theirs.

The crossing charges apply between 6am and 10pm, with one-off fees ranging from £2.50 for cars to £6 for lorries.

Known as the Dart Charge, the fee must be paid by midnight the day after the crossing, with payment options available online, by phone, or by post. However, many drivers experienced difficulties in making payments or managing their accounts.

National Highways has since stated that it has ‘resolved the issues’ affecting the system.

• Penalty Charge Notices – what are they and how can you appeal?
• Fixed Penalty Notices – all you need to know
• PCNs – what to do if you get one?

Following the release of the data regarding the fines, National Highways said in a statement: “There were technical issues with the transition to the new service providers, which resulted in an increased number of PCNs issued and an increase in cancelled PCNs.

“We regret that some customers have experienced issues when making payments and managing their accounts following the transition to the new Dart Charge service providers.

“We understand that anything associated with finances can be stressful, and we apologise for the inconvenience that these customers have faced.

“In the minority of circumstances where PCNs are issued in error, the charge will be cancelled as soon as a customer contacts us to let us know.

“We have resolved the issues and seen the errors reduce to less than 1 per cent of all PCNs issued.”

As of November 11th 2024, Conduent have not provided a comment on the report.