A holidaymaker fears oblivious motorists will fall foul of the new Dartford Crossing toll system - after he was zapped by the same technology on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Retired publisher Andrea Russo was left facing a fine for dodging a toll after crossing the iconic San Francisco landmark on a dream tour of the States.

He had visited cities including New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles – but was safely home in Fordwich when he received threats of a “toll violation notice” from Californian authorities.

Mr Russo said: “There must have been signs up, but you’re obviously focusing on your driving – on the traffic.

“How you pay, how it works was a mystery to me. This lack of clarity will surely be a problem at Dartford too. It penalises those who are unaware” - Andrea Russo

“How you pay, how it works was a mystery to me. This lack of clarity will surely be a problem at Dartford too. It penalises those who are unaware.”

This weekend saw highways authorities at the Dartford crossing switch from the old toll-gate payment system to a camera operated one.

The new system, like that of San Francisco’s world-famous bridge, reads drivers’ number plates and can tell instantly whether or not they have paid their toll fee.

And like in San Francisco, drivers are now required to pay the charge remotely – either on the phone or internet.

But drivers using the American bridge have 21 days’ grace in which to pay the $7 charge – whereas those in Dartford must now pay the £2.50 fee by midnight the next day or face a fine.

Mr Russo was on the final leg of his American tour in May this year when he decided to rent a Cadillac and take in California’s Napa Valley wine region.

His outing took him back into San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge – a suspension bridge opened in 1937 which spans 1.7 miles across San Francisco Bay.

The first Mr Russo knew of the $7 charge was when he received threats of a $25 fine via the car hire company after returning to Britain.

It was only through numerous trans-Atlantic calls that Mr Russo was able to arrange payment.

He said: “Because I had three weeks to pay I was able to do that, but the new Dartford system gives you only one day to pay.

“The principle of these camera-operated systems makes perfect sense to me. It gets traffic flowing and minimises hold-ups.

“My concern, though, is that it needs to be absolutely clear as to how it works. People who regularly use the Dartford crossing will be fine, but what about those who cross as a one-off? This will punish those who are confused, or who simply forget to pay.”

The original Dartford tunnel opened in the 1960s, running single-lane traffic in both directions under the Thames between Kent and Essex.

A second tunnel opened in the 1980s, allowing operators to run traffic along two-lanes each way.

In 1991 the Queen Elizabeth II cable-stayed bridge opened carrying four lanes in each direction.

Under the old toll payment system drivers threw coins in a basket and waited for a barrier to lift. The crossing was a notorious hot-spot for hold-ups, with traffic sometimes backing up for miles.

Drivers are charged to use the crossing between 6am and 10pm.

For further information call 0300 3000120 or visit www.gov.uk/dart-charge.