Drivers have lost more than £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 during 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) stated that the Government keeps the “vast majority” of expired payments that are not refunded. Dart Charge payments, priced at £3.50 per crossing for motorists using the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent, are valid for 12 months before expiration.
Drivers can request refunds for unused Dart Charges within the 12-month period before expiry. For dormant Dart Charge accounts, any remaining funds are reimbursed to the account holder using the original payment information. The Dartford Crossing sees a high volume of traffic, with up to 180,000 vehicles crossing daily.
The DfT mentioned that all Dart Charge revenue is directed to the DfT and allocated to transport projects benefiting communities in Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing. The Government raised the Dart Charge in September 2025, the first increase since 2014, in conjunction with plans for the Lower Thames Crossing to alleviate congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
The Lower Thames 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 longest road tunnel. The project, ongoing since 2009, has already seen over £800 million of public funds invested in planning.
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