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By Gareth Johnson MP - 22nd November 2010
Gareth Johnson MP outlines the the impact of congestion on the Dartford Crossing and its affect on the local community.
The Dartford Crossing has become synonymous with congestion. It seems that hardly a day goes by without traffic problems. The congestion and pollution at the crossing has caused local people nothing but misery. What angers local people most though is the fact that they were told that the tolls would be scrapped once the bridge had been paid for. This happened back in 2003 yet still the tolls remain.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Treasury did not look kindly at my suggestion that they forgo the £42m net that they take from the tolls and to scrap them entirely. Whilst I maintain that this is the solution to the problem, I don't expect the Treasury to agree anytime soon.
Roads minister Mike Penning has worked extremely hard to find a solution to the congestion that will be acceptable to the Treasury, he has made some tremendous progress. His plan is to remove the toll booths and replace them with modern technology that would levy the charge on the motorist. This would see the end of the congestion and the pollution but the cost would remain. It is hoped by his department that this system could be in place by 2012.
The congestion on the Dartford Crossing is probably the biggest local issue affecting Dartford. It undoubtedly holds back Dartford and much of the Thames Gateway area. It could be a positive thing for the local area instead it is Dartford's nemesis. Businesses can budget for the cost of the Crossing, what they cannot plan for is the unpredictable nature of the congestion. This is what keeps businesses away from the local area and often frustrates those that are based on the industrial estates around the Crossing.
Penning's plan will be welcomed by commerce in the area. It will ensure they can predict timings over the deliveries of their products and the transportation of their trade. Local residents like me will still though call for the tolls to go in their entirety.
The debate in Westminster Hall on Tuesday is likely to concentrate on the congestion and misery found at the Crossing and the impact it has on local residents and motorists who depend on the Crossing. It will also be an opportunity to hear the Department of Transport's plans to tackle the congestion.
Anybody who has ever been stuck in the queues at the Dartford Crossing should ignore this debate!
Article Comments
Even without the toll booths there will be bad congestion at the Dartford Crossing because of the sheer volume of traffic using it. One slight road traffic accident and things will still grind to a halt. It is the lack of alternative river crossings that is the problem.
To the west, from London to Hampton Court there are 17 river crossings of the Thames compared to the pitiful handful to the East. But whenever a new river crossing is proposed, local authorities don't want it and soon whip up public opposition.
M Masson
22nd Nov 2010 at 4:37 pm
No what angers local people more than anything is MPs like yourself trying to score cheap political points over this. We accept that the crossing will never pay for itself as it needs constant upkeep and massive security measures.
But how come other countries can collect tolls without congestion by using new technology and not in the UK? I was in Dubai recently and all the tolls are collected by scanning number plates - simples.
Nigel Reynolds
22nd Nov 2010 at 4:30 pm
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