Dart Charge vs Mersey Gateway: What's the Difference?

Dart Charge and Merseyflow (Mersey Gateway) are often confused because they work the same way — free-flow, ANPR-based, pay after you cross — but they're separate schemes on opposite sides of the country.

Dart Charge covers the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing (the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and Dartford Tunnel) between Kent and Essex. The charging authority is the Secretary of State for Transport. The PCN is currently £70, discounted to £35 within 14 days.

Merseyflow covers both the Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge between Runcorn and Widnes. The charging authority is Halton Borough Council. The PCN is currently £50, discounted to £25 within 14 days.

Both schemes require payment by midnight the day after crossing, both charge separately for each direction (which is why round trips can generate two PCNs), and appeals for both ultimately go to the same body — the Traffic Penalty Tribunal — if they're not resolved earlier. The specific legislation differs between the two, though, which is why an appeal letter needs to cite the right scheme's own rules rather than treating them as interchangeable.