Skip to main content

This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it.

Privacy Policy

This policy explains how National Highways use the personal information collected from you for the operation of the Dart Charge scheme. It also describes how long that information is kept for and the limited circumstances in which we might disclose it to third parties.

Personal details we hold

National Highways hold three types of personal information which allow us to manage the Dart Charge scheme:

  • Customer provided information: customers' contact details, their vehicle registration marks and payment preferences are used to administer accounts and one-off payments for crossings.
  • Customer contact records – Records of calls, emails and postal interactions with our website and customer centre are maintained for audit, training and service improvement purposes.
  • Crossing records – Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras capture images and record vehicle registrations whenever a vehicle uses the Crossing. These are retained as evidence in the event of a dispute.

In the event of non-payment, the details of the registered keeper are provided to National Highways by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) as well as by various Credit reference agencies. This allows us to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) for non-payment of the charge.

Length of time information will be held

In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations, your details will only be kept for the shortest time required. This will vary according to the type of data being held.

How to access your personal data

If you wish to see full details of the information Dart Charge holds in connection with you, You'll need to make a subject access request under the General Data Protection Regulations. If you've received a PCN, there will be two images on the notice itself. If you wish to obtain any additional images we might hold of your vehicle, or other personal data which we hold, you must make a formal subject access request. If you have not received a PCN there are only limited circumstances in which we might retain images of your vehicle. You'll still need to submit a subject access request to obtain any such images. To initiate a subject access request, email: customerservice@dartford-crossing-charge.service.gov.uk or call us on 0300 300 0120

Keeping your details secure

National Highways has a contract with Conduent Public Sector UK Ltd and Emovis Operations Leeds Ltd (our service providers) who provide the administration and 'back office' services for the scheme. We store all of our information in highly secure UK data centres where it is protected by the latest encryption and firewall technology. These systems are regularly audited, and penetration tested by external security assessors to ensure your data is safe. Your data will not be sent overseas as part of the normal operation of Dart Charge. We do not store entire credit/debit card numbers, nor do we keep records of the security code of customers' credit or debit cards. These details will be requested during the processing of specific transactions.

Sharing personal information

To support the prevention and detection of crime, Dart Charge provides summary records of all vehicle passages to local police forces. Occasionally, personal information held in relation to Dart Charge may be requested by and disclosed to:

  • The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
  • Local authorities
  • The police and other statutory law enforcement agencies
  • The Traffic Penalty Tribunal (should you appeal our decision if you appeal the issue of a PCN)
  • In the event of an unpaid crossing, debt registration and collection organisations.

Personal data may be shared with these organisations when a valid reason to obtain the data under the General Data Protection Regulations and other data protection legislation is provided. Such requests are dealt with on a strictly case-by-case basis. Additionally, in the course of our day-to-day operations, we may monitor vehicles using the Crossing, including those vehicles which may be exempt or registered for a discount. If we believe we've identified a persistent charge evader, or we observe activity we believe to be fraudulent, we will provide the information to the local authority or the police.

National Highways and its subsidiaries may also contact you about our related services and promotions connected to the operation of the strategic road network, for example, roadworks, crossing closures and travel surveys, etc.

Dart Charge Privacy Notice

National Highways have fully committed to adherence of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) following implementation on the 25 May 2018. In relation to our collection and processing of personal data, please see the below information.

Section 1 – Collection of Data

National Highways will be the data controller and the contact details for the company are:
Data Protection Officer: Sian Jones
Email: DataProtectionAdvice@nationalhighways.co.uk

The data processors, working on behalf of National Highways in relation to Dart Charge are: Conduent Public Sector UK Ltd and Emovis Operations Leeds Ltd. The data held is used for the purposes of customer service and administration, the enforcement of road user charging schemes, the provision of travel related information, customer research and fraud prevention.

Collected data will be stored within secure electronic records management systems, with the system being dependent on the nature of information. National Highways will store any correspondence from you in a correspondence recording system.

Information stored by Conduent will be held in the main back-office system Vector. Additional systems are used to process and store supporting information such as correspondence and telephone call recordings.

Information stored by Emovis will be held in the main back-office systems SAP and Taranto. Additional systems are used to process and store supporting information such as correspondence and telephone call recordings.

Section 2 – Processing of Data

Personal data will be stored for the shortest time necessary in order to manage the Dart Charge scheme, including payments, account management and enquiries. Our retention timescales are quoted in our Privacy Policy.

Under the GDPR you have the following rights to request information from the company:

  • Right of access to the data (Subject Access Request)
  • Right for the rectification of errors
  • Right to erasure of personal data (please note, this is not an absolute right)
  • Right to restrict of processing or to object to processing
  • The right to portability.
  • The legal basis for processing your personal data is Article 6.1 (e) of the UK GDPR “processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller” using the powers in the User Charging Schemes (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 (as amended), and The A282 Truck Road (Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Charging Scheme) Order 2013 to collect and process data.

    You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (in the UK that is the Information Commissioners Office).

    If we are to process the personal data we hold for a purpose other than that for which it was originally collected, then we will provide the you with information on what that other purpose is prior to that further processing taking place. The extra information will include any relevant further information as referred to above including the right to object to that further processing.