Tyne Tunnel scrapping payment booths????

[JGC]

I just press the assistance button and tell the fella I’m a blue badge holder. Been doing g it for near enough 2 years now and never once been checked, barrier just lifts and away I go

 

[Deleted User 2893]

Dart Charge and the London Congestion charge have worked pretty much perfectly on this system for years, with ANPR and direct debiting. Regular users open an account (and get a discount iirc). Occasional users pay on the net within 24 hours by card. If you register your card with them it only takes seconds. If you're a paranoid old git like me who doesn't volunarily give up card details, it takes a minute longer.
Either way, you rarely get queues at Dartford anymore. Also, the first time you forget, they let you off with a warning.

I had mine and duff_ladys cars registered on our account then got a courtesy car for a few days which I used for work without thinking. Got about 5 fines all drop on the doormat in the same morning. I rang them explained it and they allowed me to just pay for the journeys rather than the fines, enterprise were a set of twats though. Wanted £35 for each one even though they sent them all in one envelope!!

 

[Joe Public]

Before anyone starts, I don't believe this but here goes. Our lass was told by one of our neighbours that the Tyne Tunnel are going to scrap payment booths and the only way you will be able to go through is by pre-booking on the internet or getting a season ticket. This idea seems ridiculous for a number of reasons but I just wanted to check with the collective brain of the SMB to make sure I am not going insane!

Anyone heard anything??

It was sin the chronicle 2 months ago.

It’s not pre payment, it’s post payment.

 

[Chunk Love Sloth]

Removing the barriers would make a massive difference, especially once Silverlink is finished

I would expect that section of road to be 50mph instead of 70mph, the 3 lanes look like they are going to be about the same width as the A1 to the metro centre

 

[matt228]

I just press the assistance button and tell the fella I’m a blue badge holder. Been doing g it for near enough 2 years now and never once been checked, barrier just lifts and away I go

I used my grandad's badge when I dropped them off and picked them up at the ferry port last year; he is disabled but it occurred to me that when I used it on the way back (without him) no-one came out to check. If they had, they probably wouldn't have accepted "I'm picking this disabled guy up" as an excuse for me using a blue badge. Oops.

 

[Joe Public]

I used my grandad's badge when I dropped them off and picked them up at the ferry port last year; he is disabled but it occurred to me that when I used it on the way back (without him) no-one came out to check. If they had, they probably wouldn't have accepted "I'm picking this disabled guy up" as an excuse for me using a blue badge. Oops.

I used the mother in laws to pick her up, on the way through when she wasn’t in the car, they didn’t say anything, on the way back, they asked if the badge holder was in the car, which she was, but not sure what would have happened if she wasn’t as they don’t need to be in the car for legitimate use.

Have to wait about 5 minutes each time for them to answer the intercom tho the lazy twats.

 

[Lord Potts]

Since 2014 when the Dartford removed its pay-booths 1,160,000 vehicles have failed to pay the toll charge. I thought when the system was introduced that those who came up with the idea were being very optimistic.

 

[ivanthereasonable]

Since 2014 when the Dartford removed its pay-booths 1,160,000 vehicles have failed to pay the toll charge. I thought when the system was introduced that those who came up with the idea were being very optimistic.

I wonder how far they persue the fines to the non-payers. I doubt they care too much though, because the payers will be covering the cost of the non-payers. Similar to the Metro up here.

 

[burro nunn]

I wonder how far they persue the fines to the non-payers. I doubt they care too much though, because the payers will be covering the cost of the non-payers. Similar to the Metro up here.

They do chase them like, i read something saying a third of revenue was through fines.

 

[ivanthereasonable]

They do chase them like, i read something saying a third of revenue was through fines.

I'm not sure what they do as regards non-payers on tunnel or metros. I image the operating company factor in the lost revenue from non payers, when they set the fare/crossing charge. As already stated on this thread, in Ireland they appear to make good profit from fines.

 

[joemcdokes]

When you change the road layout to allow vehicles to get to the tunnel quicker it's the only way you can do it.
Otherwise you will have traffic queues worse than ever before.

 

[Joe Public]

When you change the road layout to allow vehicles to get to the tunnel quicker it's the only way you can do it.
Otherwise you will have traffic queues worse than ever before.

Begs the question why they put the booths in when they did the second tunnel, the technology was there to do away with it then.

 

[joemcdokes]

Begs the question why they put the booths in when they did the second tunnel, the technology was there to do away with it then.

The traffic flow was still sort of managed with the lights at Testos and the Silverlink, maybes the new layout was planned quite a while afterwards as well.

 

[PinzaC55]

This. If you forget to pay you'll be issued with a fine.

So they probably hope people will forget to pay then get fined raking in £££££ for the company ?

 

[SydneyFan]

They got rid of cash booths years ago here for the Harbour Bridge and Tunnel. We all have e-tags that sit on your dash or windscreen and it takes it automatically from your account. If you don't have one you can pay within 24hrs online but I think you get charged an extra administration fee iirc.

 

[Abu Dhabi Red and White]

Owt that gets things flowing from the tunnel is a good thing.

Juices?

 

[Beau Peep]

I just press the assistance button and tell the fella I’m a blue badge holder. Been doing g it for near enough 2 years now and never once been checked, barrier just lifts and away I go

Well done, that's the ANPR cameras programmed to identify a Bentley registered JGC 1 to suffer an unfortunate "accident" with a malfunctioning barrier!

 

[Lord Potts]

I wonder how far they persue the fines to the non-payers. I doubt they care too much though, because the payers will be covering the cost of the non-payers. Similar to the Metro up here.

I think that foreign tourists going through/ over the Dartford crossing ( of which there are many given that it's en route to the Channel) are unlikely to be aware of how to pay even were it was in their interests to find out. As they are told that they have to pay on line by midnight they probably think " Sod it we will be half way across the continent by then." I can imagine what they do with a penalty notice if they are sent one.

 

[vinegar hill]

Load of fuckin shite.
It should be free anyway.

 

[PTR]

Load of fuckin shite.
It should be free anyway.

Totally agree - I don't see why these projects are privately financed with us paying for it. Everyone needs roads, if some roads are more expensive than others, so be it. Nobody wants to drive to work on an "expensive" route, they just want to get there.
Should all be scrapped, and funded centrally

Slight improvement today, their website finally saves your credit card info, so from today, no more having to put it in manually every single time. Thank fuck!

Begs the question why they put the booths in when they did the second tunnel, the technology was there to do away with it then.

They need to enact a new bylaw to be allowed to remove them. I expect they'd have more chance getting this done if the number plate cameras were already installed and proven to be working.