Dartford Crossing operation upgraded

due to invalid card payment details, which may result in a PCN being issued.

National Highways is making changes to Dart Charge, the barrierless payment system for vehicles using the Dartford Crossing over the River Thames. The crossing comprises two bored tunnels and the cable-stayed Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.

A new service provider, Conduent, will become responsible for vehicle identification, payment processing and account management. Emovis continues to issue and handle enquiries for penalty charge notices.

National Highways undertook customer research to ensure customer needs have been incorporated into the new design.

Some 1.5 million people have accounts that enable them to use the barrierless river crossing.

The changes mean that 812,780 Dart Charge account holders will need to re-validate their payment cards from 28 July 2023. The changes also affect 700,775 Pay-as-You-Go (PAYG) customers.

Another factor is a change in payment gateway provider which means that 3D Secure 2 (3DS2) markers will not be valid and will need to be re-applied to cards held on file. 3D Secure 2 (3DS2) is the new authentication protocol for online card payments.

National Highways has written directly to affected customers. There will be online instructions when customers log into their accounts. National Highways said it will be issuing further reminders in due course, together with messages on social media to highlight the need for customers to take action on their accounts. Whilst National Highways recognises this may be an inconvenience to existing customers, it believes communication campaigns and easy to follow online instructions will reduce the impact.

If no action is taken crossings will not be automatically paid

The new service introduces a grace period for account holders that gives them five days after a crossing to remedy any issues with their account before a PCN would be issued.

A similar grace period for PAYG customer accounts will be introduced to mitigate this issue. In addition to this any challenges to PCNs received as a result of the transition will be actioned promptly, with as little customer impact as possible.

Helen Watkinson, head of road user charging, Dart Charge, said: “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.”

If you are interested to attend contact: parkingenquiries@aparking.co.uk or 020 7242 2567