Dart Charge has announced an extended deadline date for re-validating cards and making payments after the website experienced technical difficulties over the past few days.

Many customers were unable to access the site following a maintenance period and make payments for their journeys over the Dartford Crossing.

As the deadline for payment approached, drivers became concerned about potential fines.

National Highways, the organization responsible for the upkeep of the crossing, issued an apology for the inconvenience caused by the ongoing website issues.

Dart Charge released a statement acknowledging the problems and assuring customers those improvements had been implemented.

While some delays may still occur, the average wait time for online transactions is now less than five minutes on the website.

To accommodate those affected by the website downtime, payment deadlines have been extended.

Account holders now have until August 31 to update their card details on the Dart Charge website, while non-account holders who used the crossing between July 27 and August 14 have until August 15 to pay the charge.

Account holders, including Pay as You Go customers, must revalidate their cards to ensure their crossings are automatically paid and avoid penalties.

Initially, Highways set a deadline of July 28 for card revalidation.

Dart Charge attributed the service disruption to essential system updates.

Despite the inconvenience, Highways expressed gratitude for the understanding of road users during this period, emphasizing that the maintenance work aims to enhance the Dart Charge system.

The responsibility for vehicle identification, payment processing, and account management is being transferred to a new service provider named Conduent.

Emovis will continue to handle inquiries for Penalty Charge Notices.

A Dart Charge spokesperson said in a statement: “The websites and customer contact centres are all operating. We apologise for the service issues users have faced over the last few days and have implemented service improvements.

“While customers may still experience short delays, the average online wait time is now less than 5 minutes. “We have further extended payment deadlines to ensure everyone has sufficient time to pay the charge.

“@DartCharge account holders have until 31 August to update their card details on the website.

“Non-account holders who use the crossing between 27 July and 14 August have until 15 August to pay the charge.”

“We apologise again for the inconvenience, which was due to essential system updates.”