Drivers have lost over £3.6 million in unused Dart Charge payments over the last two years, with the majority of the funds being retained by the Government. A recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request uncovered that there were £1,812,379 in unused Dart Charge payments in the 2023/24 fiscal year, in addition to £1,790,559 from the prior year, totaling £3,602,938 in unused payments.
The Department for Transport (DfT) informed This is Money, who initiated the FOI request to National Highways, that most of these expired payments are not refunded and are therefore collected by the Government. Dart Charge payments, which amount to £3.50 each way and are utilized by motorists to cross the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent, remain valid for 12 months before expiration.
Drivers have the option to request a refund on Dart Charges within the 12-month expiration period. For drivers with dormant Dart Charge accounts, any remaining money is reimbursed back to the account holder using the original payment details. The Dartford Crossing sees up to 180,000 vehicles passing through daily.
According to a DfT spokesperson, all Dart Charge revenue is received by the DfT and allocated to transport projects benefiting communities in Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing. The Government raised the Dart Charge in September 2025, following the last increase in 2014. This decision coincided with the approval for the Lower Thames Crossing, aimed at alleviating congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
The new crossing will link the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex through a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames, set to be the UK’s longest road tunnel. Planning for the project, which commenced in 2009, has consumed over £800 million of taxpayers’ money.
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