Skip to main content

Sanef awarded major Dartford Crossing toll contract

The UK Highways Agency has awarded the US$589 million contract for the design, implementation, delivery and operation of the new free-flow charging system to sanef. The seven-year deal includes the opportunity to extend up to a further three years. New technology will allow drivers to use the crossing without having to stop at the barriers to hand over payment. Road users will be able to pay through a variety of methods including telephone, text, online and at retail outlets. Pre-paid accounts which qual
October 7, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Sanef has won the Dartford Crossing toll contract
The 1841 UK Highways Agency has awarded the US$589 million contract for the design, implementation, delivery and operation of the new free-flow charging system to sanef. The seven-year deal includes the opportunity to extend up to a further three years.

New technology will allow drivers to use the crossing without having to stop at the barriers to hand over payment. Road users will be able to pay through a variety of methods including telephone, text, online and at retail outlets. Pre-paid accounts which qualify for discounted journeys will also be available.

The vehicle detection, charging and enforcement management services contract includes: implementation of vehicle detection solutions which will be used as the basis to detect, charge and enforce the scheme; design and delivery of back office services required for operating a free-flow charging service; and operation of the back office services, including charge payment processing, account management, enquiry handling and enforcement management services for the life of the contract.

UK roads minister Stephen Hammond said: “I welcome this contract award which shows the Government delivering on its promise to provide improvements that will help traffic flow better at this crucial gateway. This will help thousands of drivers who use the crossing every day, and benefit both the local and national economy.”

“We are introducing new technology and road layout changes to change the way drivers pay to use the Crossing. Once it is fully implemented drivers will not have to stop at the barriers, but will pay for their journey remotely. This will reduce congestion and ease traffic flow,” said Nigel Gray, Highways Agency project manager. The contract covers the development as well as the ongoing operation of the new payment system. We remain on track to deliver this improvement in October 2014.”

Francois Gauthey chief executive officer of sanef, commented: “This contract award reflects our expert ability to deliver innovative, high quality projects in this field. We are pleased to have been selected for this scheme and we are keen to work with the Highways Agency to deliver these vital improvements at the Dartford crossing and help ease the pain for the drivers who are justifiably frustrated with the congestion.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Hurdles to MaaS adoption highlighted
    January 25, 2018
    Jack Opiola talks to some MaaS advocates in the US. Cities will accommodate almost 60% of the world’s population by 2025 and technology is outpacing transportation plans and planners - putting extreme pressures upon planners and transportation systems alike. Big data, digital payments, ubiquitous communications, smartphone applications, on-demand travel and autonomous vehicles are all shredding existing transport plans. Never before has the pace of population growth and the tools to address this problem
  • UK Government fast tracks driverless cars
    July 30, 2014
    UK business secretary Vince Cable has announced two new measures today that give the green light for driverless cars to take to UK roads from January 2015. UK cities can now bid for a share of a US$16.9 million competition to host a driverless cars trial. The government is calling on cities to join together with businesses and research organisations to put forward proposals to become a test location. Up to three cities will be selected to host the trials from 2015 and each project is expected to last
  • Need for best practice enforcement standards
    February 3, 2012
    Leading systems suppliers discuss how recent events in Italy have affected the automated enforcement sector and how the situation might be remediated
  • Tolling faces up to unprecedented challenge
    October 9, 2020
    The next five years are likely to see a number of changes – but the tolling industry will be equal to them, thinks the IBTTA’s Bill Cramer. The best minds in the business are on the case…