So they're using continual videoing, to record the many thousands of licence plates, per day; number plate recognition technology to compare with received payments ...... all to reduce labour costs, relying heavily on the tech.

Gawd help us when the server crashes.

The congestion charging system in central London has been in operation for over a decade, that is far more complex than a linear flow of traffic past some cameras.

Also if you're driving to the UK through the Channel Tunnel book your ticket in advance, don't just show up or it'll cost a fortune.

Ah, it costs a fortune anyway compared to getting the ferry. No chance of a nice cooked meal on board either.

I'm not sure about that 'nice cooked meal' bit.
OK it was about 7 years ago. My late wife and I took an early P+O ferry from Dover. Went to have breakfast. Enormous queue. Impossible. Went to the 'have breakfast served' room. Same breakfast as in self-service but more expensive. And terrible. Everything had obviously been 'cooked' (if that's the word to be used here) during the night. Complained at the cash desk on the way out - got a shrug. Wrote to P+O and complained - they sent us a meal voucher for our next crossing...

They were just being helpful in case it was a rough crossing ...... nothing worse than bringing-up and retching on an empty stomach.

I went through in my swiss registered car and thought about not bothering with the now exorbitant £2.50 charge. They make £1/2 million per day!!!

In the end I decided to ring them and pay. As usual you get press 1 for this 5 for that. When you eventually get through I paid. I asked them what happens with foreign vehicles and non payment. The told me....'a warning letter will be sent out permitting 14 days to pay without extra fines.'. After 14 days the fines start.

Last year I received a french speeding fine. They had no trouble looking up my swiss address. The European wide Erasmus database is shared automatically apparently.

If I had known, I would have waited for the warning since it is risk free. On their website they say they use european debt recovery agencies. Mind you, sending a warning letter is going to cost not far off £2.50, so would they really bother? I would be interested to hear non payers' experiences especially of the dartford crossing.

Yes. You used to queue a little a the dartford crossing. Now you have to wait in a telephone queue to pay. Press 1 for this 5 for that. Is this really progress!!?

Not worth the hassle. Either set up an account to pre-pay before you go or pay up in person at one of the thousands of pay points along the way.

I don't get the internet rage-to-charge ratio here. If you were crossing twice per day for a week, would be understandable but honestly

In the UK only courts councils and police can issue fines or penalties. So their claim of fines is incorrect.

Debt collectors have ZERO legal standing and enforcement powers in absence of a court ruling.

And, presumably, the UK government who are the ones running the remote payment scheme. Or, at least, SANEF UK is running it on their behalf.

"You’ll be sent a Penalty Charge Notice if you don’t pay by midnight on the day after you made your crossing.
The penalty charge is £70 and must be paid within 28 days. It’s reduced to £35 if you pay within 14 days and increased to £105 if you don’t pay. You also have to pay the crossing charge.
The Penalty Charge Notice will tell you how to pay."

https://www.gov.uk/dartford-crossing...ions-penalties

I can't believe this thread is still going... It's simple to pay on line, fantastic value considering the €40 scam-a-thon to cross France and finally its achieved its objective of reducing the traffic around the crossing.

What's not to like?

Well ... mostly.

http://www.brentwoodgazette.co.uk/Ma...ail/story.html

I don't agree with your fantastic value I'm afraid, Castro. If you multipled the Dartford charge (£2.50 to cover a distance of 1.45km) by the distance from joining the French motorway up to Calais the difference between the actual French cost is enormous. We join at Dole so would pay 51.50 Euros one way for a 608km trip. Multiple that distance by the £2.50 and you get a figure of over £1,000! The Crossing is probably the most expensive toll for distance covered in the whole of Europe is my guess.

Btw feel free to argue the math - because I know I'm not that good at it. Basis: call 608km 419 to allow for the almost half kilometre in the Dartford Crossing (608/1.45 = 419), multiple by 2.50 equals £1,047.50 to be exact - or not.

Fewer people may go over the crossing. But more go round the other way to get to the m1 or go on the local roads. Us drivers pay enough. Fed up of all of these creeping charges. The damned thing has been paid for many times over!

I agree darreng. Tolls should have been scrapped back in 2003 when the bridge was paid for. Unfortunately, makes too much money for the government for them to ever get rid of the charge. You can thank Mr. Blair for that, it was his government that decided to change the toll to a charge instead of getting rid of it as promised by the Tories.

I'm with Castro on this one. It's no big deal. The Irish use a similar system on parts of their motorway system. It wasn't the least bit onerous to use.

btw, comparisons with the French motorway system are not like for like. Try this - French bridge toll, €8.90 at peak times.

The Tories have had nearly five years to reverse the decision but chose not to. They are all out for easy income

They would have to have an agreement in place with other countries to enforce it. Last I checked CH isn't involved so it's up to the driver to decide.

Will just have to use it during the hours its free.