Drivers Encounter Bailiffs Over Disputed Dartford Crossing Tolls

Rachel Canning’s morning routine was interrupted at her east London residence by a bailiff representing the Dartford Crossing, who was demanding hundreds of pounds for supposedly outstanding £2.50 toll charges, referred to as the Dart Charge. Ms. Canning is among many individuals who report experiencing “intimidation” and “harassment” from debt collection agents regarding Dart Charge penalties they assert were incorrectly imposed. Drivers utilizing the vital bridge, which links sections of the M25 in Kent and Essex over the River Thames, have informed the BBC of difficulties with their accounts and substantial fines. National Highways, the authority responsible for Dart Charge, has defended its management of these situations, stating its commitment to “address customer concerns.” Ms. Canning, a resident of Hornchurch, received six penalty notices in previous months, despite maintaining an automated top-up account for the crossing charges. Four of these fines were subsequently cancelled. However, upon disputing the remaining two, which were not visible on her online account, she received no communication from Dart and presumed they had also been rescinded. Subsequently, on June 20, she was issued a “notice of enforcement” by CDER Group, a Dart contractor, requesting £385 for these two penalties. Despite her appeals and submission of evidence to the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC), a bailiff appeared, demanding £620 and threatening to immobilize her vehicle if payment was not made. She stated that the incident caused her son to become “very upset.” “The guy was quite abrupt, quite pushy, quite rude.” Footage from a doorbell camera depicts Rachel informing the bailiff that the fines were under dispute and presenting him with her filled-out online forms. She recounted, “I spent five hours going between Dart Charge, the TEC and CDER Group to see what my options were,” adding, “None of them would take responsibility.” The bailiff maintained contact with her. “He was harassing me the whole time, texting me, phoning me,” she stated, alleging that he informed her each text and call would increase her debt. National Highways clarified that bailiffs are not permitted to levy additional charges for texts or calls. Perceiving his conduct as “very threatening” and “intimidating,” Rachel made the payment to end the situation. While she has since received a refund of £620, an apology has not been issued to her. CDER Group, one of three enforcement companies contracted by Dart Charge, stated that its body-worn video did not record her son. A spokesperson explained that an agent’s role, upon being assigned a case, is “to execute a warrant by full payment or removal of goods,” which includes initiating “further contact with the debtor” until payment is secured. Aneta Wasilewska, whose flat in Grays, Essex, overlooks the Dartford Crossing, incurred a 20p deficit in July of the previous year, despite enrolling in a resident discount program that provides 50 complimentary crossings annually for £10, with subsequent crossings costing 20p each. Her account was subsequently terminated without her awareness. She unknowingly accumulated 39 penalties, which she did not receive until late November. In March 2024, Dart Charge rescinded the fines and sent her an email, informing her she had seven days to settle £97.50 for the outstanding crossings. Aneta did not receive this email as she was attending a family funeral in Poland. Attempts to resolve the issue with Dart Charge upon her return proved unsuccessful. Subsequently, a CDER Group bailiff visited on June 1, stating she owed £7,800 and that her vehicle would be seized if she failed to make a payment. She paid £1,500 using her card and consented to a monthly payment arrangement of £500. Aneta described the situation as causing “huge stress and anxiety.” Her Member of Parliament, Jen Craft, intervened by writing to National Highways, leading to the cancellation of the fines and bailiff fees within a week. However, Aneta stated she “never received an apology” from Dart. CDER Group reported that it has reviewed her case and issued an additional refund of £290. Data acquired by the BBC indicates that over the last five years, bailiffs enforcing the Dart Charge have collected £112 million from 2.3 million penalty notices. During 2023, the year Dart Charge changed its private operator, one out of every five drivers who received fines was referred to bailiffs. In the initial nine months of 2024, Dart Charge issued over 2.7 million fines, with 423,000 cases being transferred to enforcement agencies, a total exceeding any of the preceding five years. National Highways attributed the elevated 2024 figure to a three-month backlog. The fees for enforcement agencies are legally mandated, specifying the amounts chargeable at each phase of the procedure. Firefighter Andy Coote experienced Dart Charge difficulties for over ten months, despite maintaining an automatic top-up account for his journeys between Kent and London. He was initially unaware of receiving any fines because, due to personal circumstances, his mail was being rerouted to his daughter’s residence. By early May, he discovered he had 34 fines. He settled these and contacted Dart Charge to confirm “no more in the system.” However, two days later, he received an enforcement notice from CDER Group requesting £875 for 10 outstanding PCNs. Two additional penalties subsequently arrived, and including bailiff charges, Andy was informed he owed £2,500. He established a monthly payment scheme in an attempt to settle the debt. Andy, who conceded he is not “good with computers,” stated that his employer was “amazing” and dedicated time to assist him in disputing each of the unresolved fines. He remarked that the stress from the Dart fines was “10 times more” intense than his experiences as a firefighter. He alleges that CDER Group employs “intimidating” methods. “I used to get four or five texts a day, the first one normally being at 06:00,” he recounted, noting that the messages would alert him to “outstanding finances.” He further stated, “Then 15 minutes later the same thing, you get that four times a day, every day.” CDER Group indicated it had received “10 separate instructions” from Dart Charge to execute warrants against Mr. Coote, which accounted for the volume of correspondence and texts he received. National Highways asserted that in every case presented, the individual either lacked an active account at the time of crossing or had an outdated payment method linked to their account, resulting in the penalties. A spokesperson commented that “almost 95% of crossings are paid on time,” adding that “enforcement agents are only used as a last resort.” They stated: “Customers can challenge a PCN within 28 days by writing to Dart Charge.” The spokesperson clarified, “Penalty notices never show up on a customer’s account.” “If there’s enough credit or a valid payment card, the crossing charge is settled. If not, a penalty notice is issued but isn’t linked to the account,” they added. For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their external linking policy is available.