TOLL charges on the Dartford Crossing are to be hiked up by 50p to pay for free-flow electronic charging, the Department for Transport has announced.

From October 2012, cash charges for car users will increase from £1.50 to £2, from £2 to £2.50 for lorries and from £3.70 to £5.00 for heavy goods vehicles.

The Crossing will remain free for motorcyclists,and discounts for local residents and drivers who pay in advance will continue.

Funding from the charge increase will help to pay for free-flow electronic charging.

Motorists will then see a second increase in October 2014 when the free-flow charging is expected to be introduced.

This will rise to £2.50 for cars, £3.00 for lorries and £6.00 for heavy goods vehicles.

Road Minister Mike Penning said: “The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing is a vital piece of transport infrastructure that has brought huge economic benefits to the country. But currently it can’t meet the growing demands of drivers so we need to plan properly for the longer term.

“That’s why we’ve given a commitment not only to introduce free-flow charging by the autumn 2014 but also to build a new crossing in the Lower Thames area.

We have also listened carefully to what people have said about our proposals on charging, which is why charges will not increase until later this year.

The proceeds will help us prioritise investment for much-needed improvements to capacity and journey times."

For more information, go to dft.gov.uk

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