@OldBrit Always a difficult one. What would it cost in time and money if you had use another route?

Several months ago there was a lot of fuss and rhubarb because the operator of the chain-ferry across the entrance to Poole Harbour raised the fare. It had already been heavily criticised for having had the vessel towed away for repairs and refit - how dare it do its best to keep the ferry mechanically sound and safe.

Most of its year-round traffic is from commuters, delivery-drivers and buses; and of the first I've no doubt quite a number will be money-traders and the like working for too much money in Bournemouth or beyond (London?), and living in idyllic so very expensive Purbeck-stone cottages South of the Harbour.

Whoever the users and whatever their pay though, the alternative route, albeit free of tolls, is nearly thirty miles extra, right round the far end of this, the worlds' second-largest natural harbour.

@ArishMell so the problem is what time. Tower Bridge is inside congestion zone and now there are tolls on the Blackwall tunnel(s). So it will be a huge diversion around London. Living in Kent it's just a censequence we've accepted forever that you have to pay to go that route,still way cheaper than driving the alternatives.

@OldBrit Oh, I hate to think how far you'd need drive round the M25 if you want to go more or less due North from the crossing, or perhaps up the M11!

I'd think such a detour would be approaching 100 miles?

@AmberL Why should anyone need a so-called account just to pay to drive across a bridge? Especially if for a one-off journey, not regular commuting.

How do you pay if you have no Internet link, or simply do not want an "account" with whoever owns the bridgel ?

(Not everyone is "on-line", though large companies now employ gadget-freaks who cannot understand that.)

What's wrong with a simple card-reader at the entrance, if they don't have that already?.

If it were me, very unlikely to use the crossing again, I'd be strongly tempted to find their postal address, and send a cheque to that. If they object what can they do? I will have sent the money they demand so the onus is on them to bank it!

@ArishMell they got rid of the toll booths some years back to reduce the queues. Now the charges are acknowledged as a means to actually reduce demand.

But it's increased recently because of the new charges at the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels being higher at peak times.

But we'll hopefully finally now get the lower crossing which will be nearer me but we've spent quarter of a billion in it so far to just produce paper 🤦🏼‍♂

@OldBrit It had not occurred to"them" that deterring motorists from one route will only increase congestion on another?

That doesn't surprise me, spending a fortune just to produce paper. Where does it all go? I expect only a fraction of that is on physical surveys and plans, with hangers-on like legal "advisors" (over-paid planning-law solicitors), taking more than their fair share of the rest.

@gandalf1957 Doesn't' surprise me. Someone please tell the operators of toll crossings that they must offer payment choices.

@ArishMell You can probably do it by phone, seeing the signs to pay it online will make some people panic that thats the only way to pay.

@H1raeth Possibly, though I'm not sure how. I don't think it would be possible from my 'phone, short of being able to ring some office and giving my details.

@ididntknow They sold it to Sanef much later after the government had already backtracked on their promise about 12 years beforehand.

@G7J2O I know, crooks