November 11th 2024.
The Dartford Crossing has been causing quite a stir among drivers lately, with one motorist being charged a whopping 34 times despite never even using the crossing. It's left many people feeling confused and frustrated, as they received fines for a crossing they never made.
In fact, it's been revealed that a staggering £4 million worth of Dartford Crossing fines were mistakenly given out in just one year. National Highways, the authority responsible for managing the crossing, had to cancel over 59,000 penalty charge notices after switching to a new payment provider. And that's not all - in the year before the switch, they had to cancel over 3,500 fines, totaling £4.1 million.
It seems that the new provider, a private US company called Conduent, has caused quite a few issues since taking over. Many drivers have reported being fined or charged for using the crossing when they haven't, due to a mistake with their license plate. Others have had trouble making payments or managing their accounts. National Highways claims to have resolved these issues, but it's clear that the problems have caused a lot of frustration for drivers.
For those who may not be familiar with the Dartford Crossing, it's important to note that there is a charge for using it between 6am and 10pm. This charge, called the Dart Charge, ranges from £2.50 for cars to £6 for lorries. It must be paid by midnight the following day, and there are various payment options available. If the charge is not paid, drivers can receive a penalty charge notice via the automatic number plate recognition cameras.
One driver, Dr. Jenny Dunne, found herself in a "Kafkaesque nightmare" after being charged 34 times for crossings she never made. It turned out that the cameras had mistakenly identified a similar license plate with a different number. Dr. Dunne spent a lot of time and energy trying to resolve the issue, feeling like her concerns were not being taken seriously.
Another driver, Sarah Rodwell-Dodsworth, had an issue with her payment card and was fined twice in January. She wasn't aware that she needed to re-validate her card when the new provider took over. Sarah felt frustrated and unfairly punished for trying to follow the rules.
In response to these issues, National Highways issued a statement acknowledging the technical issues that arose during the transition to the new provider. They apologized for any inconvenience caused and stated that they would cancel any fines that were issued in error. According to them, the issues have now been resolved and only a small percentage of fines are now being mistakenly given out.
The new provider, Conduent, declined to comment when approached by Metro. Many drivers are also frustrated by the fact that the Dartford Crossing was meant to be free after the debt to build it was paid off in 2002. However, the government changed their stance and fees were increased in 2014 with the introduction of the Dart Charge system. This has left many feeling like they are being unfairly charged for using a crossing that was supposed to be free.
It's clear that the issues with the Dartford Crossing have caused a lot of stress and frustration for drivers. National Highways has apologized and stated that they are working to resolve any remaining issues. Hopefully, these problems will be resolved soon so drivers can use the crossing without worrying about receiving a fine for a journey they never made.
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