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[Varche]

Arrived in the UK today.

Had quite an uneventful but interesting  journey from Spain.

Plenty of yellow jackets out protesting at various roundabouts. One in Rouen had a shocking amount of burnt debris . Bitterly cold so understandable but we dont see much on tv  just whatgoes on in Paris. I can understand them complaining about the price of tractor fuel. 1.11 when we filled up in Spain. Had to put some in to get off a toll road in France. 165 cents. Not cheap here either.

Traffic on UK motorways was as heavy as I expected. Plenty of new 50 mph speed limits for Smartening.

Biggest shock was having to pay  the Dart crossing charge online. I have heard the Algarve to Spain border is similar with no cash option.

Nice being able to change to mph and change headlights to “ foreign” via dash menu as we left Euro tunnel.

[Doctor Gollum]

Wait until after 10pm? And it's free

[Varche]

Might still be free if I foget to pay it.....

[Kevin Wood]

Might still be free if I foget to pay it.....

I believe the correct response to any correspondence on that matter is "Que?".

[Lizzie Zoom]

Well 154,502 foreign lorry drivers have not paid £1 million Dart Charges in 2018.  Surprise, surprise eh!!

You will therefore be fine Varche if your car has Spanish plates!

[Varche]

Couldnt believe how many foreign lorries were on the m20 and the M25 then M1 north.

The roads will be a lot quieter after end of March when they are all parked up.

The French toll roads are fairly light on lorries. I guess it is such a cut throat business that a 50 euro charge would eat up your profits.

[Doctor Gollum]

Probably because the trailers carry different plates to the front end

I know of an American who got billed by a collection agency for several hundred dollars for two tickets months after a driving holiday in Italy...

If the Italians can figure it out, I am sure the Froggies that run the Dartford crossing will...

[78bex]

Arrived in the UK today.

Had quite an uneventful but interesting  journey from Spain.

Plenty of yellow jackets out protesting at various roundabouts. One in Rouen had a shocking amount of burnt debris . Bitterly cold so understandable but we dont see much on tv  just whatgoes on in Paris. I can understand them complaining about the price of tractor fuel. 1.11 when we filled up in Spain. Had to put some in to get off a toll road in France. 165 cents. Not cheap here either.

Traffic on UK motorways was as heavy as I expected. Plenty of new 50 mph speed limits for Smartening.

Biggest shock was having to pay  the Dart crossing charge online. I have heard the Algarve to Spain border is similar with no cash option.

Nice being able to change to mph and change headlights to “ foreign” via dash menu as we left Euro tunnel.

Agree can`t have fun anymore 
Repeat after me ; "My Desmond wasn`t in sports mode & I was only driving at 69 mph" 

  https://youtu.be/6h0W1Wvu7yk

[TheBoy]

Taking the Jag to euroland this year.  Its a bumper off job to change the headlights to neutral.  Can't see them allowing me to do that on the ferry

[biggriffin]

Taking the Jag to euroland this year.  Its a bumper off job to change the headlights to neutral.  Can't see them allowing me to do that on the ferry

Never bothered doing it, and having been thro "controlle" a few times they never seem to bother...

As for non payment of Dartford,and congestion charge,  they pass it over to a collection agency, Every so often you hear of a flip flop being stopped and charged with non payment, but it's not common,  anpr cameras struggle to read euro plates,,, and the trailers with two number plates, is 1 is trailer registration,the other is for unit,  after Brexit, UK trailers heading over will have two number plates.,and yes there is a £25 fee to register. per trailer..

[zirk]

Well 154,502 foreign lorry drivers have not paid £1 million Dart Charges in 2018.  Surprise, surprise eh!!

You will therefore be fine Varche if your car has Spanish plates!

They WILL try and get you in Fines.

The Dart Charge is actually a Congestion Charge and Funds go to TFL, they have a pretty good track record of getting there unpaid Fee's, so much so in fact that all of the TFL unpaid Fees and Fines Income amount almost match the the amount of Revenue that People pay on the Day.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Yep, it was changed to a congestion charge several years ago, when it was sold to the French. The reason given for it being a congestion charge was because of the localised pollution. The cause of the localised pollution was vehicles queuing to pay the charge.
Politicians live in a parallel reality in which we are all total mugs. 

[Bigron]

After they removed the toll booths - what queues? Or is that your point, Albs?

Ron.

[Kevin Wood]

I simply avoid it now you have to @rse around online. I was happy to chuck some cash in the bucket when they had toll booths. Their loss.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

After they removed the toll booths - what queues? Or is that your point, Albs?

Ron.

After they removed the toll booths Ron, the feeble excuse for calling it a congestion charge should have become null & void, but they didn't bother to tell the truth even then. That its just a money spinner.
Originally the charge was supposed to pay the cost of building the crossing, Then it would become free.
Then it was extended to build up a maintenance fund, then it became a congestion charge...…….

[zirk]

I simply avoid it now you have to @rse around online. I was happy to chuck some cash in the bucket when they had toll booths. Their loss.

Yea, there is that, you tend to forget about it about 10 Nano Seconds after you driven through it and then start to concentrate on more important things in your Life. 

When it first went Booth'less, they did have a Short Term Policy of "Well let you Off the Penalty as its your first time, but dont do it again" if you did mange to remember it within 3 days, phoned them up and grovelled up to them. But these days they dont take any Prisoners. 

[Nick W]

After they removed the toll booths - what queues? Or is that your point, Albs?

Ron.

After they removed the toll booths Ron, the feeble excuse for calling it a congestion charge should have become null & void, but they didn't bother to tell the truth even then. That its just a money spinner.

Originally the charge was supposed to pay the cost of building the crossing, then it was extended to build up a maintenance fund, then it became a congestion charge...…….

When you consider just how much paying traffic passes through the crossing, there was no way that it was ever going to become free. In fact, it was obvious that it would be sold off at a stupidly low price to raise some short term pocket money.
It's what happened to much of our critical infrastructure, and was/is a staggeringly stupid policy.

[zirk]

After they removed the toll booths - what queues? Or is that your point, Albs?

Ron.

After they removed the toll booths Ron, the feeble excuse for calling it a congestion charge should have become null & void, but they didn't bother to tell the truth even then. That its just a money spinner.
Originally the charge was supposed to pay the cost of building the crossing, Then it would become free.
Then it was extended to build up a maintenance fund, then it became a congestion charge...…….

Plus add to the fact that when has Our precious Government actually reversed a Tax, Charge or Penalty once its been introduced for what ever reason.

[Nick W]

I simply avoid it now you have to @rse around online. I was happy to chuck some cash in the bucket when they had toll booths. Their loss.

Yea, there is that, you tend to forget about it about 10 Nano Seconds after you driven through it and then start to concentrate on more important things in your Life. 

That is why I setup an account so that I don't have to remember to pay. Living close to the crossing I probably use it about a dozen times a year, so it's a concern. The discount is useful too.

[Sir Tigger KC]

After they removed the toll booths - what queues? Or is that your point, Albs?

Ron.

After they removed the toll booths Ron, the feeble excuse for calling it a congestion charge should have become null & void, but they didn't bother to tell the truth even then. That its just a money spinner.
Originally the charge was supposed to pay the cost of building the crossing, Then it would become free.
Then it was extended to build up a maintenance fund, then it became a congestion charge...…….

Plus add to the fact that when has Our precious Government actually reversed a Tax, Charge or Penalty once its been introduced for what ever reason.

The tolls to cross both Severn Bridges were scrapped in December. 

[Nick W]

The tolls to cross both Severn Bridges were scrapped in December. 

How long before at least one of them collapses into the river?

[Sir Tigger KC]

The tolls to cross both Severn Bridges were scrapped in December. 

How long before at least one of them collapses into the river?

On the 31st March.....   Along with everything else! 

[zirk]

The tolls to cross both Severn Bridges were scrapped in December. 

Unless your English trying to get back into England. 

[Varche]

Had a Hell of  a day yesterday and predictably forgot to pay the ruddy thing.

Went online and paid the basic charge tonight. Not £70 or £35 with pay in 14 day discount.

Couldnt live with the sword of damacles hanging over us.

When we are able to escape the country I will either pay in advance or drive the other way round the M 25.

[Sir Tigger KC]

The tolls to cross both Severn Bridges were scrapped in December. 

Unless your English trying to get back into England. 

The 50mph average speed cameras they've put up through the defunct toll plaza will make up the lost revenue I expect. 

[zirk]

Had a Hell of  a day yesterday and predictably forgot to pay the ruddy thing.

Went online and paid the basic charge tonight. Not £70 or £35 with pay in 14 day discount.

Couldnt live with the sword of damacles hanging over us.

When we are able to escape the country I will either pay in advance or drive the other way round the M 25.

Unlike the various other London Entry Charges which have to be paid for before Midnight on the same day you enter, On the Dart Charge they give you another +24 Hours yo pay it, so if you crossed it today you have until Midnight Tomorrow ie, next day to pay the Standard Charge without Penalties. 

[Varche]

Well drove through  on the Froday, yesterday was a blur, remembered today so technically too late.

[zirk]

Well drove through  on the Froday, yesterday was a blur, remembered today so technically too late.

I would ring Them, explain your from España, not sure what was what etc, they might let it go, got to be worth a shot, and a lot cheaper than waiting for a Letter to arrive. 

0300 300 0120 (Normal LL Charged Call / Inclusive Mins on a UK Mobile)

[Phil]

Nothing wrong with the QE2 bridge or Dartford tunnel DART charge for me, I pay a £20 a year 'administration fee' and get unlimited free crossings.

I could take the option of £10 'admin fee' and get 50 free crossings with any other above that 20p each way.

Scarily the tolls booths were removed over 4 years ago! Doesn't seem that long ago at all!! 

[Sir Tigger KC]

Nothing wrong with the QE2 bridge or Dartford tunnel DART charge for me, I pay a £20 a year 'administration fee' and get unlimited free crossings.

I could take the option of £10 'admin fee' and get 50 free crossings with any other above that 20p each way.

Scarily the tolls booths were removed over 4 years ago! Doesn't seem that long ago at all!! 

I went through the Dart tunnel the other day and removing the toll booths dosn't seem to have eased the queues. 

[zirk]

I went through the Dart tunnel the other day and removing the toll booths dosn't seem to have eased the queues. 

Us Essex and Kent Folk like to get our monies worth if were having to pay a Congestion Charge. 

[Nick W]

I went through the Dart tunnel the other day and removing the toll booths doesn't seem to have eased the queues. 

It's eased them considerably. It hasn't eliminated them. Which isn't likely, as there are lots of very busy, poorly designed junctions within a short distance.

[Varche]

Received today, 24 April a fine of £50 for unpaid toll fee despite us having paid it albeit a few hours late.

10 out of 10 for tracking us down.

We are appealling agin it.

Shall be going through it again on Sunday. Joy of joys. Not at all easy to pay as a foreigner with a foreign vehicle and no uk address. Might be cheaper to go right round the m25 the other way ( only joking).

Phone calls, hours trying to do a screen shot of the payment. How do older folk manage.......

The funniest thing was the letter from Dart also included a letter with a 94 euro fine for some poor Spaniard lorry driver in San Sebastion by mistake. On the phone Dart weren't interested. We will send it to the miscreant at our expense.

What a way to run a poxy Thames crossing. Bit like the crossing between Spain and PortugalAlgarve. I hope the Dart crossing employees and management use that this summer on their holibobs.

[Doctor Gollum]

Well, it is French...

[Sir Tigger KC]

Glad to see they're tracking down and fining the furriners!   

How do they enforce the fine if the furriner dosn't bother to pay though?   

[Nick W]

Well, it is French...

They're extremely efficient at getting French speeding tickets to the registered owner of British cars. 3 of them in less than 2 weeks of the offence(s). Just as well we didn't take the Omega this year, as I would have been going much faster than the 1.0l Focus I was driving

[Varche]

Proof finally sent to dispute the fine. What a milarkey.

It can take up to 56 days to respond. 

[aaronjb]

The funniest thing was the letter from Dart also included a letter with a 94 euro fine for some poor Spaniard lorry driver in San Sebastion by mistake. On the phone Dart weren't interested. We will send it to the miscreant at our expense.

Don't do that, send it here: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Maybe a fine under GDPR rules will make them re-think their information security practices.

[Gaffers]

The funniest thing was the letter from Dart also included a letter with a 94 euro fine for some poor Spaniard lorry driver in San Sebastion by mistake. On the phone Dart weren't interested. We will send it to the miscreant at our expense.

Don't do that, send it here: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Maybe a fine under GDPR rules will make them re-think their information security practices.

Yup, the fact that they didn't act once notified only makes it worse for them.