The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing (Amendment) Regulations 2003

Statutory Instruments

2003 No. 496

HIGHWAYS, ENGLAND

The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing (Amendment) Regulations 2003

Made

4th March 2003

Laid before Parliament

5th March 2003

Coming into force

1st April 2003

The Secretary of State for Transport in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 25(1) and (2), 26, 44(3) and 46(1) (1) of the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Act 1988(2), hereby makes the following Regulations:

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing (Amendment) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 1st April 2003.

Amendments to The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Regulations 1998

2.  The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Regulations 1998(3) are hereby amended as follows:

(1) For regulations 1(2) there shall be substituted—

• “In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “axle”, “axle weight” and “wheel” have the same meaning as they have in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 for the purpose of those Regulations other than regulations 26 and 27;

• “charge” means a charge imposed by regulation 4 of these Regulations, as distinct from and in addition to any road user charge;

• “designated parking area” means an area laid out by the crossing operator for the parking, repair or refuelling of vehicles;

• “registered keeper” in relation to a vehicle means the person in whose name the vehicle was at the relevant time registered under or by virtue of the Vehicle (Excise and Registration) Act 1994;

• “road user charge” means a charge levied under a trunk road charging scheme made under section 168 of the Transport Act 2000;

• “trailer” has the same meaning as in section 185 of the Road Traffic Act 1988;

• “wheel weight” means the weight transmitted to the road surface by a wheel not transversely in line with any other wheel.”

(2) In regulation 3(3) for “tunnel offices” there shall be substituted “Crossing Offices”;

(3) In regulation 4(1) for “toll” there shall be substituted “road user charge”;

(4) For Parts I and II of the Table to regulation 4 there shall be substituted the following—

“PART I

	Time of Commencement of Passage	Charge
Overall width
Greater than 2.75 metres and not more than 6.1 metres	Passage commencing after 06.00 hours and before 22.00 hours	£42.00
Greater than 2.75 metres and not more than 6.1 metres	Passage commencing on or after 22.00 hours and on or before 06.00 hours	£21.00
Greater than 6.1 metres	At any time	£190.00
Overall length
Greater than 18.75 metres and not more than 27.4 metres	Passage commencing after 06.00 hours and before 22.00 hours	£42.00
Greater than 18.75 metres and not more than 27.4 metres	Passage commencing on or after 22.00 hours and on or before 06.00 hours	£21.00
Greater than 27.4 metres	At any time	£190.00
Total weight of vehicle
Greater than 150,000 kilograms	At any time	£190.00

PART II

	Time of Commencement of Passage	Charge
Overall width
Greater than 3.65 metres and not more than 6.1 metres	Passage commencing after 06.00 hours and before 22.00 hours	£42.00
Greater than 3.65 metres and not more than 6.1 metres	Passage commencing on or after 22.00 hours and on or before 06.00 hours	£21.00
Greater than 6.1 metres	At any time	£190
Overall length
Greater than 27.4 metres	At any time	£190.00
Total weight of vehicle
Greater than 150,000 kilograms	At any time	£190.00”

(5) In regulation 5(1) for “the booklet entitled ‘Dangerous Traffic’, Ninth Edition issued in 1997” there shall be substituted “the booklet entitled `Dangerous Traffic', Eleventh Edition issued in 2001” (4).

(6) In regulation 8(b) for “a toll or charge” there shall be substituted “a charge or road user charge”.

Revocation of previous regulations

3.  The following regulations are hereby revoked—

• The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing (Amendment) Regulations 1999(5)

• The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing (Amendment) Regulations 2000(6)

• The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing (Amendments) Regulations 2001(7)

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

John Spellar

Minister of State,

Department for Transport

4th March 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Regulations 1998, which provide a scale of charges to be paid for abnormal loads using the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing, and make further provision regarding the carrying of dangerous goods and the removal of stationary vehicles. These Regulations do not increase the charges for abnormal loads.

The amendments are made necessary by the fact that, as from 1st April 2003, vehicles using the Crossing will no longer be subject to tolls levied under the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Act 1988, but will instead be liable to pay charges under a trunk road charging scheme made under the Transport Act 2000(8).

These Regulations also consolidate changes made to the 1998 Regulations by subsequent Regulations. Those subsequent Regulations are accordingly revoked.

As from 1st April 2003, Dartford River Crossing Limited will no longer be the crossing operator as defined in section 12(4) of the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Act 1988. Accordingly, after that date the booklet entitled “Dangerous Traffic” referred to in regulation 2(5) of these Regulations will no longer be obtainable from Dartford River Crossing Limited, but may be obtained in person or by post from either the Le Crossing Company Ltd, Dartford Crossing Offices, South Orbital Way, Dartford, Kent DA1 5PR, or the Mersey Tunnels, Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority, George’s Dock Building, George’s Dock Way, Pier Head, Liverpool L3 1DD or the Tyne Tunnel, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear NE28 0PD.

(1)

See the definitions of “prescribed” and “regulations”.

(2)

1988 c. 20.

(3)

S.I. 1998/1908, amended by S.I. 1999/2208, 2000/2151, 2001/2973.

(4)

ISBN 0 9515530 6 2; 0 9515531 6 X; 0 9515532 9 1.

(5)

S.I. 1999/2208.

(6)

S.I. 2000/2151.

(7)

S.I. 2001/2973.

(8)

2000 c. 38.