A recent investigation by BBC East has revealed that drivers from all over the UK are receiving fines for unpaid journeys at the Dartford Crossing, despite never actually having crossed it. The issue appears to stem from the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which are wrongly identifying vehicles with similar license plates.
Consequently, the Dart Charge system has come under scrutiny, with the problems being attributed to the switch to a new provider in July of this year. The firm responsible for managing “road user charging” on the crossing is Conduent Public Sector UK Ltd, which recently won a £150m contract from National Highways. This contract includes the provision and operation of roadside equipment to enable the detection and identification of vehicles.
National Highways has stated in response to the investigation: “In a minority of circumstances, penalty charges are issued in error. Where this happens, the charge will be cancelled as soon as a customer contacts us to let us know they are not the registered keeper of the vehicle.” Last year, 55 million journeys were made across the Dartford Tunnel and Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, meaning that these errors represent a tiny proportion of the overall crossings.
Deputy Headteacher, Anne Marie Kenyon, from Bury in Greater Manchester, received two fines in the post for journeys she never made, one in April and another in June this year. Although both fines were later cancelled, the experience was “so frustrating” for her, leaving her concerned at the possibility of being fined again. Eleanor Vousden also had a similar experience, although as a frequent visitor to her parents in Dartford, she could have been mistaken for legitimately having used the crossing.
Mike Adams, on the other hand, received a fine because the ANPR camera could not read the number plate, and whilst he tried to pay for the crossing online, the system would not allow him as it did not recognize his license plate. This has left Adams frustrated with facing a fine for an error he believes is the fault of the Dart Charge system.
Although a National Highways spokesperson has emphasized that penalty charges are issued in error in only a minority of cases, the fact that such high-tech equipment can still make these mistakes with significant consequences requires further attention and review to avoid individuals being wrongly fined in the future
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
