The Freight Transport Association has called on the government to invest in reducing congestion for the Dartford crossing following the decision to postpone toll increases.
Heavy goods vehicles are currently charged £3.70 to use the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing; the proposed tolls would have seen this charge rise to £5.00 in late 2011 and £6.00 in Spring 2012.
Malcolm Bingham, the FTA’s head of road network management, said: “The average cost of an HGV stuck in traffic for an hour is around £50, so it is little wonder that our members see congestion as a massive burden. We would like to see the money taken from road users invested in free flow technology and ideally the construction of another crossing. This would be the fairest way of alleviating congestion on this critical road link and securing a long-term solution to the problem.”