John Hunt
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Driver, Brian Palmer Haulage Mendlesham, Suffolk
The cost of parking at motorway services and some truckstops is "astronomical", according to Hunt.
Although some offer meal vouchers to drivers, it still adds up and eats into any allowance drivers get for a night out from their employers. "I get £22.50 for a night out and I'm expected to cover parking costs out of
that," he says, "so what you get is a lot of drivers using truckstops to eat and shower, but then driving down the road to the nearest lay-by to park up for the night.
"The problem is that the police are closing some lay-bys to commercial traffic at night. But you can't just ban trucks without giving them somewhere else to park."
He continues: "On the continent, it's different. In Belgium and Holland there's no charge for parking. In Germany, you might have to pay C10 to park but then you'll get that amount off your food bill. "And the food is often so good that the locals will go there to eat. At Christmas, they put on parties with music and singing. In the UK, the facilities at some stops are disgusting.