The date has been set for the implementation of the Dartford Crossing Dart Charge.

The way drivers pay the Dartford Crossing charge will change on Sunday November 30, the Highways Agency confirmed today (November 5).

The last cash payment will be taken at the crossing around 10pm on Saturday November 29.

The new payment arrangements - known as Dart Charge - will mean drivers will no longer stop to pay at the barriers. 

Drivers will have more flexibility about when and how they pay the charge, paying either in advance or by midnight the day after crossing.

Payment can be made online, by phone, by post or at one of thousands of payzone retail outlets

A website where drivers can register for a pre-pay account - and save up to a third on every crossing - opened to the public today.

Highways Agency Project Manager, Nigel Gray said: "Dart Charge will help speed up journeys so it's great news for the tens of thousands of drivers who use the crossing every day and for the economy.

"From today drivers can set up a pre-pay account and get a discount on every crossing once the new payment arrangements begin.

"From this morning the website where drivers can set up their pre-pay account - www.gov.uk/dart-charge - has been open to the public.

"The Highways Agency will be contacting existing DART-Tag customers to explain how to transfer to a new Dart Charge account and continue to get discounts on crossings."

Malcolm Bingham, head of road network management policy at the Freight Transport Association added: "The payment booths cause significant congestion at the Dartford Crossing so we welcome the introduction of Dart Charge. 

"The quicker journey times means reduced costs so this is good news for the freight industry."

The charge to use the crossing will also increase from Sunday November 30, as announced by the Department for Transport in May 2012, as follows:

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The crossing will remain free between 10pm and 6am and the Local Residents’ Discount Scheme remains in place.

Work to remove the payment booths and introduce a new road layout will begin at the end of November to coincide with Dart Charge launching and will be substantially completed by the end of April 2015.

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson said: "People in Dartford have had enough of congestion from the crossing and so as far as I am concerned the removal of the toll booths can’t come soon enough.

"Whilst no one is claiming this will end any chance of congestion in the area, it should make a noticeable difference to traffic flows around the Dartford Crossing."

To find out more about Dart Charge, or to register for updates click here.