Dartford Crossing Dart Charge changes date moved

Dartford Crossing users will not be able to update their payment cards until after maintenance work on the updated Dart Charge system has finished.

Account holders, including Pay as You Go customers, were informed that they will have to re-validate their payment cards in order to comply with banking requirements due to an update of the service.

The responsibility for vehicle identification, payment processing, and account management has been transferred to a new service provider known as Conduent.

Initially, it was stated that Dart Charge account holders, including Pay as You Go customers, would be mandatory to re-validate their payment cards by July 28, 2023, due to these changes.

Failure to do so may result in crossings not being automatically paid, potentially leading to a Penalty Charge Notice.

However, National Highways has announced that due to an extended maintenance window, this will no longer be possible until the service re-opens on July 30.

From 12.01am on Friday, July 28, until late on Sunday, July 30, drivers using the Dartford Crossing will need to make payments through the Dart Charge website or by calling Dart Charge directly.

In order to assist drivers, Dart Charge has extended the timeframe for payments until midnight on August 1.

To avoid any penalty charges, all crossings made between July 27 and July 30 must be paid by August 1.

Affected customers have been contacted by National Highways and have been provided with clear instructions to follow upon logging into their accounts.

National Highways, the organization responsible for the upkeep of the Dartford Crossing, expressed their apology for any inconvenience caused during this maintenance period, while also expressing their gratitude for the understanding of road users.

They emphasized that these maintenance measures were being implemented to enhance the Dart Charge system.

Emovis will continue to handle inquiries regarding Penalty Charge Notices.

National Highways has already dispatched direct communications and instructions to those affected, with the second round of communication concluding on July 22.

In addition, the organization will provide live updates through their social media channels to keep customers informed throughout the process.

Helen Watkinson, Head of Road User Charging, Dart Charge, said: “We are really excited about the changes to Dart Charge. We have worked hard to design a customer centric service with the new suppliers, really putting the customer at the heart of our design.

“Whilst there are improvements from day one, we have further exciting improvements in the pipeline to further enhance the service offer and offer customers more flexibility.

“We will announce further changes as they come online.”

“We thank our customers for their feedback which has helped to design the new service and look forward to continuing that customer relationship to further improve the service.

“Customers can leave feedback and comments on the website: https://pay-dartford-crossing-charge.service.gov.uk/Home”