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Campaign attac ‹s Dartford
Page 9
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OPERATORS ARE supporting a new campaign to scrap tolls at the Dartford Crossing.
The Scrap the Tolls campaign was launched on Friday with the backing of three UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEPs — Nigel Farage, Gerard Batten and Tom Wisc. A 12m harmer carrying the www.scrapthetolls.com web address was displayed from a bridge near the crossing. Mark Crow:11er, communications director for UKIP, says the banner prompted a host of e-mails from users of the crossing. "The government promised to scrap the tolls once the tunnel had been paid for — yet the tolls are still here," he adds. 'This stealth tax hits the haulage industry particularly hard as they have to use the route."
Nigel Mason, MD of Erithbased Connect Freight, joined the protesters on Friday. He says: "We put three or four lorries along this route every day — that's E20 a day. There's no alternative—we use the motorways to keep the A-roads clear for shopping and schools. Why are we still paying these tolls, and where does the revenue go?"
Trucks are charged f2.90 during the day and I at night to use the Dartford-Thu rrock Crossing, managed by French operator Le Crossing. Charges can rise as high as £190 for abnormal loads.
Over 54 million vehicles used the crossing last year.