FOI release

Dart Charge Penalty Notices

Some or all of the information requested was not provided because we didn't hold it.

Case reference FOI2024/00801

Received 12 August 2024

Published 10 October 2024

Request

Please send me:

1. The number of Penalty Charge Notices issued by National Highways for failure to pay the Dart Charge that were issued in error during these periods:

A. Between 28/07/2022 and 27/07/2023

B. Between 28/07/2023 and 27/07/2024.

2. The number of those charges that were cancelled, with separate figures for periods A and B?

3. The number of those charges that were paid, with separate figures for periods A and B?

Response

With regard to questions 1 and 3, we do not hold this information, so cannot respond to these questions.

To explain further, when we issue penalty notices, we do so because we have genuine grounds to believe that a customer has not paid for their crossings. We will not be aware a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) has been issued in error until we are contacted by the customer. Any concerns that are raised by a customer will be fully investigated and if it is established that the PCN was issued in error the PCN is immediately cancelled.

With regard to question 2, the information we hold therefore is the number of cancelled PCNs only.

During the time periods you have specified there was a significant increase in the amount of PCNs cancelled related to the July 2023 transition to the new Dart Charge service providers. Indeed, the amount of PCNs that were cancelled during the specified time periods were:

28/07/2022 & 27/07/2023 3,595

28/07/2023 & 27/07/2024 59,007

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is National Highways' response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

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