Skip to main content

Dartford crossing free-flow payment system to go ahead

The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing’s proposed free-flow payment system is set to be introduced from next year, UK Roads Minister Stephen Hammond has announced. The technology will provide flexibility for drivers travelling over or under the River Thames while also ensuring a steady traffic flow, reducing congestion. Motorists will be able to pay via telephone, text message, online and through retail outlets, instead of stopping at the crossing’s barriers. "The Dartford Crossing is vital to the local and
July 18, 2013 Read time: 1 min
The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing’s proposed free-flow payment system is set to be introduced from next year, UK Roads Minister Stephen Hammond has announced.

The technology will provide flexibility for drivers travelling over or under the River Thames while also ensuring a steady traffic flow, reducing congestion.  Motorists will be able to pay via telephone, text message, online and through retail outlets, instead of stopping at the crossing’s barriers.

"The Dartford Crossing is vital to the local and national economy and introducing free-flow technology will cut congestion and improve journeys for the thousands of motorists and businesses who use the Crossing every day," said Mr Hammond.

Related Content

  • Netherlands road pricing trial results released
    February 2, 2012
    NXP Semiconductors and IBM have announced the final results of a landmark road pricing trial conducted in the Netherlands, which demonstrated that with the help of technology, drivers can be motivated to change their driving behaviour, reducing traffic congestion and contributing to a greener environment.
  • Ticketless travel for London’s commuters?
    April 4, 2013
    London's commuters will be able to use their mobile phones and bank cards for travel across the city, if Transport for London's (TfL) plans come to fruition. Thousands of London bus users already pay their fares using contactless bank cards instead of TfL Oyster cards, which have been widely used over the past decade. Users pay different charges for different London Underground zones and for train travel, so TfL has to decide on suitable payment mechanisms, and could drive the widespread adoption of systems
  • TomTom traffic index shows increase in UK congestion
    April 1, 2015
    TomTom’s today 5th annual Traffic Index, the barometer of traffic congestion in over 200 cities worldwide, reveals rising congestion levels around the globe In addition, for the first time, the Index took an in-depth look at the true impact of rush hour traffic on the work week, uncovering that evening rush hour nearly doubles the journey time for car commuters. The analysis of 12 trillion pieces of traffic data worldwide revealed that the evening rush hour is the most congested time of day. Traffic co
  • Mobility pricing offers new tools for managing mobility
    November 23, 2017
    Mobility pricing is the best way of sustaining and enhancing mobility, argues Moving Forward Consulting’s Josef Czako. Mobility pricing (MP) is effectively the culmination of the ‘user pays’ principle and has been referred to in many policy discussions about electronic toll collection, road user charging (RUC), and pricing. MP not only reflects the ‘use more, pay more’ nature of RUC, it also takes account of the external cost of journeys including pollution, noise, the cost of congestion and accidents.