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Self-employed agency driver Andrew Watson laments the inadequate facilities and declining standards which characterise most motorway service stations...
Page 46
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• To sound off about a road transport issue write to Patric Cunnane (patric.cunnane* rbi.co.uk) or fax your views (up to 600 words) to kicky Clarke on 020 8652 8912.
d Iffheaveablmeeonstin4oroyaedatrrsansapnodrtthfiosrismtohsetfiorfsmt tyimweolrykeing
been moved to speak out against anything. My gripe is with motorway service stations.
On night trunking from Scotland to the Manchester area five nights a week I find it impossible to park in any motorway service station. Most of the time the lorry parks are full, of mostly foreign vehicles, and if you are successful in obtaining a .,i space to have your legal break, the first Frs person you see is the attendant wanting to
t know if you are sleeping there and n
.fc demanding money for parking.
2 The toilets are adequate, but most are extremely shabby and , E_ well-worn. Of course if a few buses are in you have to queue to use these essential facilities.
9The standard of service and quality of the food on offer is, in ,..... my opinion, well below the standard you would have received in
the old greasy spoon cafes which preceded these monster money-making machines. The attitude of the staff is 'if you do like it, leave now'. No longer is it the case that the customer it always right, or has an opinion.
Of course if I do discover for any reason the necessity to purchase anything from the cafe or the shop, I find I need a gok credit card to pay for everything. The reason, of course, is tha not carry the vast amount of cash necessary to complete a transaction. And in the cafe, you have to ask yourself: "How lor all that food been kept under the hot lights? Is it possible I will something from it, like salmonella, e coli or some other infectio One recent addition to the service areas on the M74 has or lorry spaces, 20 bus spaces, numerous car spaces and lots a: dedicated car and caravan parking. On my last visit there was and caravan illegally parked on the exit route within the parkin area and a Land Rover with live fish on board taking up two lor spaces. This inconsiderate use of the meagre parking provisio lorries only adds to the frustration suffered by HGV drivers lik wanting to park up. Of course no supervision is in place for thi; area as it produces little or no income during the day.
It is my opinion that lorry drivers are still being classed as second-class citizens with fewer rights than the refugees who enjoying our British hospitality. I have to ask, is there a case to presented to the European Court on Human Rights?
I believe that an independent survey should be carried out' the unfortunate customers of motorway service stations, and opinions noted and presented to the operators of those vast money-making machines.
attitude from the staff and management could go a long way to improving our dreary lives on the road.
In my opinion, improved service and a better 9'