Operators' agony over parking fees
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Crawley, West Sussex, erator, F. Snelling Ltd has -nplained to local MP Tim
Renton that the charges demanded of lorry drivers vary from £2.25 to £10 per night. These fees sometimes include meals which are "inedible and quite often not required by the drivers anyway", according to company secretary, Kevin Howes. He told Mr Renton that since motorway service facilities have been adopted by private enterprise, certain anomalies have become apparent.
"When a driver reaches his eight-hour driving limit he has to park-up. This is where the motorway service operators spring their trap. It's illegal to pull off the motorway and park on the side of the road or in the nearest main town, and if he refuses to pay and is evicted from the services area, he is then prosecuted for exceeding his driving hours."
Mr Howes wants parking fees standardised throughout motorway services and an improvement in facilities. He says it is obvious certain service areas do not want commercial vehicles on their premises arid have set prices accordingly.
The FTA has written to all motorway service area operators asking for information on current and future parking charges, saying that several member companies are concerned about parking charges at certain service areas.