Drivers have lost over £3.6 million in unused Dart Charge payments in the past two years, with the majority of these funds being retained by the Government. An FOI 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, the entity that submitted the FOI request to National Highways, that the vast majority of these expired payments are not reimbursed and are therefore held by the Government. Dart Charge payments, which are priced at £3.50 each way and are utilized by motorists crossing the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent, are valid for 12 months before expiring.
Drivers have the option to request a refund for Dart Charges within the 12-month expiration period. For drivers with dormant Dart Charge accounts, any remaining funds are reimbursed to the account holder using the original payment details.
The Dartford Crossing sees up to 180,000 vehicles passing through daily. According to a DfT spokesperson, all Dart Charge revenue is remitted to the DfT and allocated to transportation projects that benefit individuals in Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing.
The Mirror has reached out to the DfT for further comment. AA president Edmund King highlighted that the Dartford Crossing tolls were originally intended to cease once the bridge’s construction costs were covered, a milestone achieved in 2003. However, the government decided to retain the charges to manage traffic and as a source of general revenue.
Charging schemes for all trunk roads, bridges, and tunnels exceeding 600m were introduced under the Transport Act 2000, enabling the Highways Agency to continue charging for crossings. The Dart Charge was elevated by the Government in September 2025, with the previous increase dating back to 2014. This move coincides with the approval of the Lower Thames Crossing project, aimed at alleviating 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, set to be the UK’s lengthiest road tunnel. Planning for the project has been ongoing since 2009, with over £800 million of taxpayers’ money spent on the initiative.
