Hundreds of thousands in incorrect fines have been mistakenly handed to drivers over a significant route within the UK in 12 months, in line with a brand new investigation.
These penalty cost notices quantity to £4.1m mixed on the level of situation, as every value £70, decreased to £35 if paid inside 14 days.
Simply 3,595 fines have been issued within the earlier 12 months, the yr earlier than Nationwide Highways switched to a brand new supplier to handle funds there.
Dr Jenny Dunne, 64, was charged 34 occasions within the seven months to late April for crossings she did not make, partly as a result of a automobile with a quantity plate just like hers – with a 3 as a substitute of a 1 – was incorrectly recognized.
“I had no idea what was happening. At the beginning I got quite upset,” she mentioned.
“I thought my number plate had been cloned so I contacted the police. It turned out the cameras were faulty. It’s taken an awful lot of my time and wasted a lot of my energy.”
A Nationwide Highways spokesman mentioned it has apologised to Dr Dunne since discovering an article was being written.
Personal agency Conduent was awarded a £150m contract by Nationwide Highways to handle crossing funds from 28 July final yr.
After then, there have been experiences of drivers fined or charged when a automobile with an identical plate used the crossing.
Nationwide Highways mentioned it has “resolved the issues”.
Crossings made between 6am and 10pm are chargeable and the charges – referred to as the Dart Cost – should be paid by midnight the day after the crossing.
Fines are given to those that don’t pay, with computerized quantity plate recognition cameras detecting automobiles on the crossing.
Points ‘resolved’
Greater than 55 million journeys are made on the crossing every year, with about two million fines processed for non-payment, and the Dartford Crossing connects with the M25, one of many busiest motorways in Europe.
Nationwide Highways mentioned there have been “technical issues with the transition to the new service providers”.
“We understand that anything associated with finances can be stressful, and we apologise for the inconvenience that these customers have faced,” the group mentioned.
“In the minority of circumstances where PCNs are issued in error, the charge will be cancelled as soon as a customer contacts us to let us know.”
The organisation additionally claimed they’ve “resolved” the problems and “seen the errors reduce to less than 1% of all PCNs issued”.
Conduent declined to remark.
