Motorists using the Dartford Crossing are being urged to check their bills carefully under the new Dart Charge scheme, after several complaints have been raised regarding individuals being charged twice for the same journey.

Spanning the River Thames and connecting Dartford in Kent to Thurrock in Essex, the crossing plays a crucial role role in enabling the smooth transport of goods between the Greater London area and the rest of the UK.

It is also one of the busiest river crossings in the whole of the country and therefore any issues surrounding tolling need to taken seriously.

Motoring organisation the AA has now issued a call to the government to take forthright action to address these issues as swiftly as possible, or ministers should be prepared to face the potential wrath of the driving public.

AA president Edmund King stated: "It is particularly galling that any toll remains at Dartford. The tolls and charges were supposed to be lifted in 2003 when the cost of the scheme had been met.  

"The new scheme has undoubtedly eased the congestion at busy times but, for some, there is a new concern regarding the behind-the-scenes bureaucracy that accompanies this supposedly high-tech, non-stop tolling."

He added that now the system has been fully up and running for more than six months, it is expected that these initial glitches will have been ironed out. However, in many cases, motorists continue to suffer difficulties both in the topping up of their Dart Charge accounts, as well as the tolling system itself charging them more than once.

A comprehensive review of the programme and the manner in which Dart Charge is operated is therefore being called for by the body, as well a swift resolution and refunds for all those who have been mistakenly double-charged.