BEWARE IF GOING TO CHATHAM OR FOLKESTONE!

Submitted by Nobby Hall via Carl Beeson 07 Oct 14.

Once again the Highway Agency only communicates with those on a computer who use social media!! I found out about this yesterday when discussing it with a mate and my proposed trip to Chatham in January thence March next
year.
Basically the present charge for a car is £2 paid at a toll booth as you pass through either at the end of Bridge South and before the tunnels North.

Now you will go through an electronic recognition system so unless you are local or a regular user from the area you will be electronically clocked.
This leaves you the option of posting in for a prepaid ticket which will be £2.50 plus I assume two stamps to cover sae thus £3.56p (Nearly double the previous charge of £2) or you drive through not realising that you are subject to a toll of £2.50 which must be paid for within 24 hrs by phone, computer etc or you are subject to a prosecution and Fine!
Apparently this planned change has been known about for some months a bit like the road tax disc change which is another rip off.

So people like me who only venture South on sparse occasions such as Ton Class Meetings, Naval Reunions or Remembrance Services a couple of times a year are kept in the dark and charged more. I note they have
thrown a £1 on the lorries. As everything is shifted by road it means all freight will ultimately go up and everything we buy to transit a bit of road bridge or tunnel which with our road tax we have already paid to use!!

I note on the reasons given for the tolls it is to stop too many people using it causing distress to the area and those who live there. They think if its free they will get too much traffic for the road. As far as I am aware there is no option but to cross the bridge/tunnel without a very large detour or paying a congestion charge so I think they are again lying through their back teeth and it all about taxing the very last penny out of everyone they can.
Still MPs pay rises and Foreign Aid have to be raised from somewhere!!

Links applicable
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dart-charge-table-of-charges

http://www.highways.gov.uk/our-road-network/managing-our-roads/improving...