Drivers Get Dart Fines Despite Not Using Crossing

[Hymie]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6288ey03y1o

This issue, where a private company is operating the Dart crossing could be much made more user-friendly by stipulating in the tender document that they had to fund an independent organisation adjudicating disputed charges – and where the adjudication was in favour of the claimant, they would be paid (say) £100 for their inconvenience (paid by the crossing operator).

 

This would encourage the operator to correctly fine those having not paid; currently they don’t have much incentive to do so – and it may increase their profits by such behaviour.

[Old_Geezer]

Better still, if their tech doesn't work to a decent standard and they continue harassing citizens, nationslise it and make it part if the normal road system, as it should be.

[Hymie]

Originally the government said that once the tolls reached the cost of construction the toll would be abolished – it’s like us suckers paying indefinitely on a loan that has already been paid off.

[mushroom25]

// it’s like us suckers paying indefinitely on a loan that has already been paid off. //

after the loan was paid off, the toll was converted to a road charge in the spring of 2003, as provided for by the then labour government's Transport Act of 2000. the act allowed the introduction of (congestion) charging schemes on any trunk road bridge or tunnel at least 600 metres long,  and formalised in the case of Dartford by the A282 Order 2002. 

At the same time an EU Directive required VAT to be charged on all road tolls, but the government did not enforce this, choosing to bear the VAT cost themselves as a subsidy.