Motorists face massive blow as Dartford Crossing increases fees by 40% for first time in 11 years

For regular account holders, the change will see their fees increase from £2 to £2.80, with the move hoping to reduce the number of vehicles clogging up the popular route.

The Government has justified the substantial rise by citing the need to manage growing demand at the crossing, which now handles over 150,000 vehicles daily despite being designed for far fewer.

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The new tariff structure will see the cost for motorcycles using the crossing remain free, while vans and two-axle goods vehicles will pay £4.20 for single crossings, up from £3.

But larger vehicles with multiple axles face the steepest increases, with charges rising to £8.40 from £6. "The increase in charges for car drivers will be a maximum of £1, with significant discounts for local residents and account holders," Greenwood stated.

The Minister noted that the new rates would be "significantly lower than if they had increased in line with inflation since the tariff was last fully revised in 2014."

The Dartford Crossing is a major road crossing over the River Thames, carrying the A282 road between Dartford in Kent in the south and Thurrock in Essex in the north. It is predominantly used by drivers commuting into the city for work.

But the Department for Transport warned that traffic volumes have surged 7.5 per cent since 2014, with the crossing now accommodating up to 180,000 vehicles on peak days.

These figures have been found to exceed the infrastructure's original design capacity, creating substantial delays for motorists and widespread congestion on the M25.

The Government acknowledged that "current charging levels are no longer sufficient to achieve their stated aim of managing demand so that the crossing works well for users and local people."

The persistent congestion has also generated various negative effects for surrounding communities, prompting ministers to act.

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The toll increases come as the Government confirmed new funding for the Lower Thames Crossing project, which aims to provide additional capacity to ease pressure on the existing route, although the new road project won't be completed until 2030.

The Transport Ministeracknowledged the changes would be unwelcome for crossing users but insisted they were necessary to secure the transport link.

Greenwood said: "We will continue to support local people through the local resident discount scheme, and I have been determined to keep the nominal fee paid by local people as low as possible, as many rely on the crossing to get around their local area."

Drivers who live in Dartford or Thurrock and who have signed up to the scheme will be able to pay £25 for unlimited annual crossings from September, marking a small increase from the current annual fee.

Greenwood added: "To secure the effective operation of the crossing, I have, therefore, decided to increase the charges for all vehicle types that currently pay to use the crossing."

The Government did note that it will maintain several existing exemptions, with journeys between 10pm and 6am remaining free when demand management is unnecessary.

But local MPs have failed to back the new charges with Richard John Holden, Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, stating: "I do not understand how that is possibly justifiable at the moment.

"If the Minister wants to try and justify that they should have the backbone to do it on the floor of the House of Commons, where they can be questioned on it."