by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Small firms have called on the Government to speed up the removal of toll barriers at the Dartford crossing.

The Federation of Small Businesses in Kent and Medway claims that congestion costs business millions of pounds a year and wants Roads Minister Mike Penning to act more quickly on his pledge to eliminate the toll plaza by 2012.

Regional chairman Roger House said: "He promised that the toll barriers would be gone by the end of 2012 and replaced by automatic number plate recognition technology, but the FSB believes that he is not moving fast enough, as delaying until December 2012 will cost crossing users a staggering £42.8 million in wasted time."

Research suggests that on an average day, without any accidents or other hold ups, the cost of wasted time for motorists using the Dartford Crossing is more than £58,725 or £21.4 million a year. That figure excludes the cost of wasted fuel.

It could cost around £10m to remove the toll booths and barriers and replace them with similar technology used for the London Congestion Charge.

The cost of building the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge was paid off several years ago and the crossing now earns profits of around £47m. Neville Gaunt, FSB North Kent branch chairman, added: "What Mr Penning has got to realise is that for every day he delays removal of the toll barriers, he is costing local businesses more than £58,000 and that is simply not acceptable."

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has campaigned for the abolition of tolls, not just the barriers. But he wrote in his column for the Dartford Messenger that removal of the booths should ensure congestion levels at the crossing are no worse than anywhere else on the M25.

"This will also tackle the huge pollution problems that emanate from the toll booths. This measure actually requires substantial infrastructure changes on the Dartford side of the Crossing but it represents the most significant improvement we have seen since it was opened."