Stop the Dartford toll charge, please sign petition

DiscoCAFC

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43932

The Government pledged that they would drop the toll charges when construction costs for the tunnel and bridge were paid off, but since the Dartford Crossing went into profit in 2004 they remained in place. If tolls were scrapped the vast tailbacks would be reduced dramatically and the high levels of pollution engines would also be cut.

We are now told that the Toll Charge is in fact a congestion charge, and the recent rise from £1.50 to £2.00 for cars is to ease jams. The jams are far worse since the tolls have been increased. Meaning that effectively this congestion charge is causing congestion at the Dartford Crossings. If a motorist arrives at the booths and cannot make payment, then all traffic is stopped whilst the motorist is directed to the hard shoulder. There is the extra time needed to give change to motorists now that the charges are higher.

The M25 is always congested and its also a problem for those who need to access the M25 that need to come off the turning on the A20, A2 and the Maidstone turn off.

Would you be ale to sign this petition so we can send a message to the government.

LenGlover

They mean £1.50 to £2 for cars unless the petition was started ages ago!

soapy_jones

signed - 3 signatures? In at the beginning eh?

Hartleypete

done

DiscoCAFC

I just started this myself and only just got published.

I made a slight error but the purpose of my petition is not reducing toll charge price.

LenGlover

Signed

RodneyCharltonTrotta

Isn't it owned, well at least run, by private contractors now? The government would have to pay penalties to pay off the contractors I imagine surely so can't see it happening unfortunately.

UrbanChupacabra

Isnt the government's argument that the contractors pay the public purse to run it and therefore we are all making a profit?

Valiantphil

Owned by the French.
British drivers were conned by the Government.
Don't use it unless you have to.

rananegra

Bo**ocks is it a congestion charge, like there is any choice if people are driving that way, and ramping up the charge will just push traffic towards the Blackwall tunnel or back round the M25 the long way.

rananegra

Signed

Slartibartfast

Signed. (shock, horror, politicians tell more lies)

mid_life_crisis

Absolute con of the highest order. Signed.

Carter

I cant believe anyone is surprised by this

Cardinal Sin

Signed, although governments giving up on easy tax options in these times is hard to comprehend.

ShootersHillGuru

Signed. They are all a bunch of crooks.

daveaddick

Done but I have no confidence that this will make any difference the bloody revenue from this toll must be huge. This was one of the biggest Government cons ever and I now avoid the toll as much as I can.

MrOneLung

How can it be a congestion charge, when the whole idea of the M25 was for people to use it to stop traffic going through central London?

Elthamaddick

signed

Rizzo

Signed but sadly I have no faith that it will make any difference.

rikofold

The previous consultation report acknowledged that the tolls themselves were the primary cause of the congestion - the last one suggested that the tolls reflected a congestion charge, which is ridiculous from just about every angle of scrutiny. Might be setting us up for tolls at the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels, of course...

ThreadKiller

do you have a link please, to where the government that they would drop the toll charges when construction costs for the tunnel and bridge were paid off

wickford

Wasn't it reported recently that plans for another crossing (Isle of Dogs?) would be funded by it being a toll tunnel and that Blackwall would also be made a toll tunnel to stop people using it as a cheap alternative – all only until it was paid for, of course!
Signed, awaiting confirmation.

LenGlover

ThreadKiller said:

do you have a link please, to where the government that they would drop the toll charges when construction costs for the tunnel and bridge were paid off

http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/public_views_sought_on_dartford_crossing_free_flow_charging_1_1677719

The promise was made in 1969 and it was apparently all paid off in 2003.

killerandflash

The toll is merely a revenue raising exercise now, though the toll may go towards building a new Kent/Essex crossing. One positive bit of news is that they are going to abolish the toll booths, and people will instead pay offline (similar to the Congestion Charge)

maddferrett

A million signatures wouldn't change anything.

E_cafc

A billion signatures won`t change anything! No chance whatsoever of this revenue raiser being scrapped, ever!

Plumstead_Micky

Signed as well, but like many others, not all that confident that it'll stop the robbery.

BaronPaolo

If there is money to be made then this will never be scrapped. Period.

Covered End

Surely the toll & similar needs to be increased to pay for an above 1% increase in benefits ? :-)

Absurdistan

Where's the increase the Dartford Toll petition?