Dart Charge: extra help for local residents
Extra support to help people living in Dartford and Thurrock benefit from the discounts they are entitled to at the Dartford Crossing have been announced today by Highways England.
44,000 people have now signed up for the Local Residents Discount Scheme – 12,000 more than before Dart Charge launched last November. The scheme offers local residents significant discounts for using the Crossing.
The growth in accounts is evidence that more people than ever are benefitting from discounted journeys at Dartford, as well as the significant journey time savings that Dart Charge is already bringing.
A new telephone option for those using the Local Residents Discount Scheme has been set up to assist customers that have been experiencing any issues. Local customers will also be able to book an appointment at one of a series of ‘surgery style’ events that will be held in Dartford and Thurrock over the coming weeks.
Dart Charge Project Director Nigel Gray said:
It’s great that more people than ever before are taking advantage of the Local Residents Discount Scheme, as well as quicker journeys at the Crossing. 12,000 new users in less than six months is a significant rate of growth. Most of these accounts have been set up smoothly and without issue. However I know some people have experienced problems setting up their accounts. Although only a small minority of customers have had difficulties, I understand how frustrating this must be to the people affected and I offer them my apologies. Today we are announcing extra support to help people resolve any outstanding issues as quickly as possible.
Charles Hewson, CEO Sanef Operations Ltd, said:
My team of advisers are committed to helping local residents with any problems they might have with their Dart Charge accounts. Recently we have addressed many of the remaining problems but are aware that some people would welcome personal help. As the people who use the crossing the most it is right we do everything we can to resolve any outstanding issues local residents have as quickly as possible.
The new telephone option is available when calling the Dart Charge contact centre on 0300 300 0120 and is staffed by a dedicated specialist team of advisers who will work to resolve issues as quickly as possible. This team is backed by additional IT and finance specialist support so any issues can be fixed more quickly.
Appointments begin this week in Dartford and are available by prior arrangement only by ringing the Dart Charge contact centre on 0300 300 0120 and selecting the local resident’s option. Appointments are available for locations in Dartford and Thurrock, and are an opportunity for customers to set up accounts or resolve outstanding issues in person with Dart Charge advisors. In particular these sessions will help customers who do not have access to the internet as the advisers will be able to scan documents so they do not need to be sent in the post.
Advice about setting up a Local Resident Discount account can be found on our Dart Charge web page.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.