<P> Under the 2000 Transport Act, the A282 Trunk Road (Dartford - Thurrock Crossing charging scheme) Order 2002 allowed the continuation of the crossing fee, which officially became a charge and not a toll on 1 April 2003 . Management of the crossing was contracted to Le Crossing Company Limited on behalf of the Highways Agency . In September 2009 the Highways Agency made a new contract with Connect Plus (M25) Limited . As well as maintaining the crossing, the contract required the company to widen around 40 miles of the M25 and to refurbish a tunnel on the A1 (M) at Hatfield . In October 2009, the Government announced its intention to sell the crossing as part of a public sector deficit reduction strategy . The announcement was unpopular with local residents, who encouraged drivers to sound their horns in protest when using the crossing . After the change of government following the 2010 Election, the new prime minister David Cameron announced that the crossing might still be sold, despite local opposition, particularly from Gareth Johnson, member of parliament for Dartford . Subsequently, the chancellor George Osborne announced that charges would be increased instead to cover the budget deficit . Pre-pay accounts for the crossing were introduced around this time; drivers held an electronic device called a DART - Tag in the vehicle that automatically deducted the charge at payment booths . This was abolished when the Dart Charge was introduced in 2014 . </P> <P> Under the 2008 Charging Order introduced on 15 November 2008, charges between 10 pm and 6 am were discontinued, but standard daytime rates increased, starting at £ 1.50 for cars . On 7 October 2012 the charges increased to £ 2 for cars, £ 2.50 for 2 axle goods vehicles and £ 5 for multi-axle goods vehicles . By 2012, local businesses were complaining that the crossing's charge booths were impeding local growth . The government announced that a new electronic charging system would be introduced in 2014 . Drivers would be able to pay by phone, text, online or in shops . The charge was proposed to increase to £ 2.50 for cars, £ 3 for two - axle goods vehicles and £ 6 for multi-axle vehicles . A later report stated that drivers evading the charge could be fined as much as £ 105 . </P> <P> Preparation work on the free - flow scheme started in April 2014 . Concerns were raised about reliability, with a Highways Agency report predicting that it could lose up to £ 6m of unpaid charges per year . In September, the Highways Agency announced that the new scheme would start to operate at the end of November, though related works to remove barriers would continue until April 2015 . Subsequently, the date for removal of the booths was confirmed as 30 November . </P> <P> The Dart Charge scheme was considered a success by the project management, who claimed it has reduced peak - time round trips over the crossing by 15 minutes . The Automobile Association said the scheme had faults, while a BBC report showed 1.8 million drivers had been fined for failure to pay in the year since the charge was set up . </P>

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