Rough deals on motorways
Page 67
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CAN WE TAKE the
'Government's claim to be giving 'priority to environmental factors in lorry operation seriously ;when, in one field, they condone , practices that force trucks off the
I motorways?
, By their pricing policies, !service area operators discriminate against professional drivers and operators. While recent movements in pump prices at some service areas have reduced the cost of fuel from absurd to merely excessive, the general policy is still anti-lorry.
We have recently seen a swing towards increased overnight parking costs, and even, on some sites, a total ban on longterm parking. The net result of this is that lorries travel on unsuitable roads and stop in unsuitable places in order that their drivers may eat, park and re-fuel, thus causing understandable disturbance to the inhabitants of residential areas.
Surely the Government, as lessor of motorway service areas, is in a position to insist that operators of such sites provide: (a) overnight parking at reasonable cost; (b) concessionary prices for commercial drivers on food; and (c) fuel at normal market levels?
They could thus give credence to their claims to be encouraging environmental improvement while enabling both vehicle drivers and operators to work more efficiently.
RODNEY MELDRAN
17 Devonshire Road Birkenhead Merseyside