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Welcome Break justifies price hikes as 'reflecting' site costs
Page 15
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By David Harris WELCOME BREAK is poised to raise parking charges for trucks across its network of motorway service areas (MSAs) in the UK.
Some truck drivers think the charges are already too high, but Welcome Break say they reflect the costs of running the sites.
Driver Paul Dauvney, who works for Betchworth Heavy Transport, learnt of the imminent rise in charges for the Welcome Break site on the M40 near Warwick last week.
He says: "Ifs £20 to park with a meal voucher. or £17.50 without it, and the food isn't good, especially compared to Europe. where you pay E5 to park. and that's refundable against your meal."
Welcome Break would not confirm the timing nor level of the Warwick parking price rise, but it is understood it will come into force in June, and that other Welcome Break MSAs will also be raising charges.
Dauvney says another irritant is that Welcome Break's charges vary between sites; he would prefer a uniform cost across the network.
A Welcome Break spokesman says these price variations are "effectively governed by supply and demand". He adds: "We do take on board the comments of truck drivers, who are an important part of our business. There is no denying [parking trucks in] Europe is cheaper, but circumstances are different. Our charges reflect the costs of running our sites."
Welcome Break says its own customer surveys suggest that the standard of its food is improving.
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