Drivers have lost over £3.6 million in unused Dart Charge payments over the past two years, with the majority of the funds being retained by the Government. A recent Freedom of Information request disclosed 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 previous year, totaling £3,602,938 in unclaimed payments.
The Department for Transport (DfT) informed This is Money, who submitted the FOI request to National Highways, that the Government retains the vast majority of these expired payments without issuing refunds. Dart Charge payments, which are £3.50 each way and are used by drivers to cross the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent, are valid for 12 months before expiring.
Drivers have the option to request refunds for Dart Charges within the 12-month expiration period. For drivers with inactive Dart Charge accounts, any remaining funds are reimbursed to the account holder using the original payment information. The Dartford Crossing sees up to 180,000 vehicles passing through each day.
A spokesperson for the DfT stated that all Dart Charge revenue is directed to the DfT and is utilized for transport projects benefiting residents in Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing. The Mirror has reached out to the DfT for further input. AA president Edmund King highlighted that the Dartford crossing tolls were supposed to cease once construction costs were covered, which was achieved in 2003. However, the government decided to retain the charges for traffic management and revenue generation purposes.
The Transport Act 2000 introduced charging schemes for all major roads, bridges, and tunnels exceeding 600 meters in length, allowing the Highways Agency to continue applying crossing fees. The Government raised the Dart Charge in September 2025, following the last increase in 2014. This coincides with the approval for the Lower Thames Crossing project, aimed at relieving 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, making it the longest road tunnel in the UK. Planning for the project has been ongoing since 2009, with over £800 million of taxpayer money allocated to the planning phase.