Drivers have forfeited over £3.6 million in unused Dart Charge payments over the past two years, with the majority of the unclaimed funds being retained by the Government. A recent Freedom of Information (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 preceding year, totaling £3,602,938 in unutilized payments.
The Department for Transport (DfT) informed This is Money, the initiator of the FOI request to National Highways, that the “vast majority” of these expired payments are not reimbursed and are thus held by the Government. Dart Charge payments, priced at £3.50 per trip, are utilized by drivers crossing the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent and are valid for 12 months before expiration.
Drivers can request refunds for Dart Charges within the 12-month expiration window. 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 serves up to 180,000 vehicles daily.
A spokesperson for the DfT stated to This is Money that all Dart Charge revenue is received by the DfT and allocated to transportation projects benefiting 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 remarked that the original agreement for the Dartford Crossing was to cease tolls once the bridge construction costs were covered, a milestone achieved in 2003. However, the government altered its decision, maintaining charges for traffic management and revenue generation.
The Transport Act 2000 introduced charging schemes for all trunk roads, bridges, and tunnels spanning over 600 meters, permitting the Highways Agency to continue implementing crossing fees. In September 2025, the Government raised the Dart Charge, with the last fee adjustment occurring in 2014. The Government has greenlighted 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 dedicated to the initiative.
