Drivers have lost over £3.6 million in unused Dart Charge payments during the past two years, with the majority of these 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 previous year, totaling £3,602,938 in unclaimed payments.
According to the Department for Transport (DfT), the vast majority of these expired payments are not refunded and are instead kept by the Government. Dart Charge payments, priced at £3.50 each way, are utilized by drivers to cross the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent and remain valid for 12 months before expiration.
Drivers have the option to request a refund for Dart Charges within the 12-month expiration period. For drivers with dormant Dart Charge accounts, any remaining funds are refunded to the account holder using the original payment details. The Dartford Crossing sees up to 180,000 vehicles passing through daily.
The DfT stated that all Dart Charge revenue is received by the department and allocated to transport projects benefiting the regions of Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing. The Government recently raised the Dart Charge in September 2025, marking the first increase since 2014. This increase aligns with the approval given for the Lower Thames Crossing project, aimed at alleviating congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
The Lower Thames Crossing will link the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex through a 2.6-mile tunnel beneath the Thames, set to be the UK’s longest road tunnel. Planning for this project, which began in 2009, has already utilized over £800 million in taxpayers’ money.