The UK Department for Transport (DfT) may lift toll booth barriers at the Dartford Crossing during times of severe congestion.

The move is intended to ease delays created by major traffic bottlenecks at the crossing on the River Thames in England.

The DfT also asked the UK Highways Agency to see if new licence plate recognition technology could allow free-flow charging, according to bbc.co.uk.

The Dartford Tunnel and Queen Elizabeth II Bridge carry about 150,000 vehicles a day.