Drivers have forfeited 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. According to a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request, 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, the source of the FOI request, that the Government keeps the “vast majority” of expired payments without issuing refunds. Dart Charge payments, priced at £3.50 each way, are utilized by drivers crossing the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent and are valid for 12 months before expiration.
Drivers have the option to request refunds for Dart Charges within the 12-month period before expiration. In cases where Dart Charge accounts become inactive, any remaining funds are reimbursed to the account holder using the original payment method. The Dartford Crossing sees a high volume of traffic, with up to 180,000 vehicles passing through daily.
The DfT spokesperson stated that all Dart Charge revenue is channeled to the DfT and is allocated towards transportation projects benefiting communities in Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing. The Mirror has reached out to the DfT for further comments. AA president Edmund King highlighted the history of tolls at the Dartford Crossing, indicating that the government continued charging tolls past the original agreement of halting them once construction costs were covered in 2003.
Charging schemes for trunk roads, bridges, and tunnels exceeding 600m (1,969ft) were introduced under the Transport Act 2000, permitting the Highways Agency to sustain crossing fees. In September 2025, the Government raised the Dart Charge, marking the first increase since 2014. This adjustment coincides with the approval for the Lower Thames Crossing, aimed at alleviating congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
The Lower Thames Crossing project will link the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex through a 2.6-mile tunnel beneath the Thames, set to be the longest road tunnel in the UK. Planning for the project, which commenced in 2009, has consumed over £800 million in taxpayer funds.