Business groups have slammed the shock rise in Dartford Crossing fees as harmful to growth and jobs.

The Federation of Small Businesses for Kent and Medway, the Tunbridge Wells-based Freight Transport Association and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) that includes Kent and Medway councils, condemned the government’s decision.

From October, car drivers will have to fork out an extra 50p to £2 (£2.50 from 2014), while the toll for a heavy truck jumps from £3.70 to £5, with a further hike to £6 in 2014. The cost for Dart-Tag users goes up from £3.20 to £4.33.

The introduction of free flowing tolling wanted by business has been put off to 2014.

Ministers had previously promised to remove the tolls once the cost of building and maintenance had been covered, which was nine years ago.

Roger House, chairman of the FSB in Kent and Medway, said the government had broken its promise and this was just another tax raising initiative.

“82% of responses to the consultation disagreed with proposals for higher tolls; however the government is going to implement increases regardless,” he said, warning that higher charges would not reduce congestion.

“At a time when the country is trying to pull the economy out of recession and has a growth agenda in the Thames Gateway, where an additional 42,000 jobs are to be created, on-going congestion should be eliminated, and this may be achieved by removal of the tolls.”

The FTA said it was disappointed by the announcement by transport minister Mike Penning. These additional costs were unacceptable to the freight industry.

Malcolm Bingham, FTA head of road network management policy, said: “We are disappointed as we feel the government has not taken any notice of us at all.”

According to the FTA, it costs an estimated £1 a minute per HGV to queue and pay at the Dartford crossing.

SELEP chairman John Spence said: “Unblocking the Dartford Crossing is critical to the health of many businesses in our area, let alone our mission to create the most enterprising economy in England.”

Toll rises added “insult to injury” unless they were accompanied by a commitment to raise the barrier at levels of congestion lower than they are at the moment.