Overview

• One-off charges increase to £3.50 for cars, motorhomes and small minibuses, £4.20 for vans and coaches, and £8.40 for lorries.
• Local resident permits rise from £20 to £25 a year, overnight journeys between 10pm and 6am remain free, and motorcycles stay exempt.
• The Department for Transport frames the rise as a traffic-management measure to encourage drivers to seek alternatives.
• Motoring and freight groups including the AA, RAC Foundation and RHA call the hike a revenue grab and warn of higher logistics costs.
• Usage averages more than 150,000 vehicles a day and can reach 180,000 on the busiest days, which officials say exceeds the crossing’s design capacity.