Dartford Crossing Charges Rise for Drivers: Bikes Remain Free
From 1 September 2025, drivers using the Dartford Crossing will be hit with higher charges – unless you’re on two wheels.
The Department for Transport has confirmed the first increase in Dart Charge fees since 2014, aimed at managing demand on what’s arguably the most frustrating bottleneck in the southeast. But for motorcyclists, there’s some rare good news: bikes will continue to use the crossing completely free of charge, 24 hours a day.
While car drivers and van operators will see their daily costs climb, motorcycles, mopeds, and quad bikes remain exempt from any fees.
Dartford Crossing Dart Charge - from September 1 2025
| Class | Vehicles | One-off payment | Pre-pay account holders |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes | Free | Free |
| B | Cars (including trailers), motorhomes and any minibuses that have 9 or less seats (including the driver’s seat) | £3.50 | £2.80 |
| C | Buses, coaches, vans and other goods vehicles with 2 axles | £4.20 | £3.60 |
| D | Buses, coaches, vans and other goods vehicles with more than 2 axles | £8.40 | £7.20 |
That’s a £1 rise for car drivers, and even more for heavier vehicles. For context, if these rates had increased with inflation since 2014, they’d be significantly higher, so the DfT is framing this as a "restrained" hike.
Why the rise?
The Dartford Crossing, which carries the M25 over (and under) the Thames, is used by over 150,000 vehicles a day, with peaks of 180,000. That’s 7.5 per cent more than a decade ago and well beyond what the original design ever intended. Congestion, delays and spill-over disruption to local communities are all cited as reasons for the charge hike.
According to the DfT, the rise is aimed at discouraging unnecessary trips during peak times, with night-time crossings (10pm to 6am) remaining free for all vehicles. It has not been made public precisely how the extra revenue raised will be spent
Local residents still get a deal
Drivers living in Dartford or Thurrock who are enrolled in the local discount scheme will pay £25 a year for unlimited crossings, up from the current £20. That still works out at less than 7p a day – a small price for those who regularly rely on the route.
Bikes win again
With fuel costs set to rise, insurance stubbornly high, and ULEZ zones expanding, bikers are used to feeling the financial squeeze. But this move shows that, sometimes, the powers-that-be recognise the low impact of powered two-wheelers on congestion and emissions.
So, from September, if you want to cross the Thames without paying through the nose, it’s two wheels for good, four wheels for taxed.
Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
