Drivers have reported issues with the Dart Charge system (Picture: Karl Hendon/Getty Images)
Drivers have been hit with mystery fines at Dartford Crossing – despite never having used the bridge.
Trying to challenge an unfair fine can be exhausting and time-consuming.
Now motorists across the UK have been left scratching their heads after receiving fines in the post saying they owe money in penalty charges for using the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.
One driver was hundreds of miles away and had never visited Dartford when she was fined through the Dart Charge Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system.
The Dartford Crossing toll in Kent (Picture: Maxian/Getty Images)
National Highways told Metro.co.uk that in some cases penalty charges have been ‘issued in error’ but they have been cancelled ‘as soon as a customer contacts us to let us know.’
Dart Charge confusion
Anne Marie Kenyon, a deputy headteacher from Bury in Greater Manchester, was left confused after being fined in the post – twice.
The first fine arrived in April, followed by another one in June this year, the BBC reports.
Anne said she had never used the crossing, and although she was able to clear the fines, she now worries about it happening again.
While her number plate begins with DV, on the first occasion the vehicle using the crossing had a number plate with DY at the start, and OV the second time.
She said cancelling the fine a second time after the first successful cancellation was ‘so frustrating’ and she said she felt the way she was treated was ‘poor.’
Another driver, Eleanor Vousden, from Berkshire, said she received a fine saying she had used the crossing on Christmas Eve.
Eleanor said she knew Dart Charge had mistaken her cars identity. The car in the notification picture, a silver Honda Jazz, was very similar to hers – a silver Honda CRG, the broadcaster reports.
Except for the last letter, the number plates were almost identical.
She said her experience with Dart Charge was good and the fine was cancelled.
However, she said ‘how often such mistakes occur and whether people do bother to check, if they can’t remember where they are.’
The company responsible for managing the road user charging is Conduent Public Sector UK Ltd, which was reportedly awarded a £150 million contract by National Highways in 2021 to operate equipment for vehicle identification, according to the BBC.
Aerial view north-west of Queen Elizabeth II Bridge over River Thames, Dartford (Picture: Andrew Holt/Getty Images)
Mike Adams, from Kent, said he received a fine after the ANPR cameras could not read his number plate after he had used the crossing.
He said the the Dart Charge system was ‘profiting from enforcing fines that should not apply.’
A National Highways spokesperson said: ‘In some cases, manual checks are needed to make sure crossing details are accurate. This can delay those crossings being visible on the website. However, customers can still pay for these crossings at any time up to midnight the following day, whether the crossing is visible online or not.
‘The easiest option for customers is to pay every time and on time. We’ve made this easy by offering different ways to pay which suit everyone’s needs. We want to make paying as stress-free as possible and limit any additional admin for our customers.
‘In a minority of circumstances penalty charges are issued in error. Where this happens, the charge will be cancelled as soon as a customer contacts us to let us know they are not the registered keeper of the vehicle.’
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