Dartford Tunnell Paying

[grendel]

I am not up for arriving at work at 6.20 am in the morning and leaving for home at 9.45pm - besides, if you aim for just before 6am, they will undoubtedly have one tunnel closed and a half hour queue just to spite you.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

10 hours ago, Mowjo said:

This probably won't help but did you know you can cross for free after 10pm and before 6am,,

 

 Hi Frank,

the reason for going to Kent the night before was because we would`nt have to be up and around the M25 before the traffic builds up, as it`s a relatively short run from the tunnell to the M25.  If we stay with Dad the night before, we`ll go through the Blackwall tunnell and up to the M11 that way. I`ve done it before, just takes a little longer.

[Broadsword]

We have to use it a few times a year and have not bothered to set up an account... I have heard the horror stories of penalty fines for crossings that could not have been made!  It is a pain if you forget though!  My usual approach is to pull in at the next services, grab a coffee, log on and do it immediately!

What bugs me about the false penalties (chap on the Wirral who got charged, when he was several hundred miles away for example) is that they wrongly identify the vehicle, but it is the owner, apparently, who has to demonstrate that they were not using the crossing at said time. I think I would say, hope you can whistle, I'll see you in court! You Prove I was...

 

[grendel]

The problem is it is numberplate recognition, if sombody clones / steals your number plate, then the bill will come to you. if you can prove it was not you - ie you were at work 300 miles away they will have to accept it, they will have a photo of the car though as their evidence.

[Guest]

26 minutes ago, grendel said:

The problem is it is numberplate recognition, if sombody clones / steals your number plate, then the bill will come to you. if you can prove it was not you - ie you were at work 300 miles away they will have to accept it, they will have a photo of the car though as their evidence.

Yes, the same problem as speeding fines from speed cameras.

It's difficult to think of a way that they can get round the problem of anyone cloning a genuine number plate, especially when the perpetrators no doubt make sure it belongs to the same model and colour of car, (one reason why Google earth street view pixelates them).

Lucky I've got a real "wrinkly" OAP type style-less car that such people wouldn't be seen dead in !

[grendel]

you drive a volvo too?

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, grendel said:

you drive a volvo too?

Only in the boat Grendel.

Whereas my car is an old secondhand Jap compact with absolutely no style or speed that suits my driving style and aspirations perfectly.......

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

GOOD NEWS ONE AND ALL,  I`ve done it, but not untill my brother showed me how to do it last night. In fairness to myself, i`m no tecky, but their website is not what i would call very easy to work out. I could explain where i was going wrong, and misunderstanding what they were getting at, but suffice to say, 2 crossings booked and payed for, so we can stay with my rapidly ailing dad before we go to Lightnings AGM, and the following week when we take her over.  I have to say though, i think this is a joke, and has no doubt been done deliberately to confuse, and make extra revinue by way of bogus fines. I also don`t like the fact they charge you extra if you pay AFTER you cross, and there should be a payment office at the tunnell site so those that do not have internet can cross without penalty.

As for ownership, it most certainly IS`NT in the public domain, as it was sold to a French consortium a few years back, so, no matter how much revinue the crossing makes, it will NEVER be free.  Well, not unless it gets nationalised.

[JonC]

the crossing has not been sold to a French company, they just collect the tolls, it stilled owned by the Highways agency. Consultation has begun on another crossing scheme.

[ExSurveyor]

I have to say I find the new system generally quicker.  The last week has been horrendous but this is to do with road works running over rather than tolls. 

We sometimes have a problem on a friday afternoon,  but less delays than before the booths were removed. 

Never seem to have a problem coming back on a sunday,  the bridge flows better than the tunnels. 

The downside of an account is the kids are all on it,  so much for the savings by having an account