Liam Quinn
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Owner-driver, Quinn's Transport Shipton-by-Beningborough,York
Too few and usually in the wrong place — that's Quinn's verdict on the UK truckstop network. He stresses the point that drivers struggling to meet deadlines, without breaking the rules on rest periods, need to be able to stop as close as possible to their scheduled routes.
Problems arise if they have to deviate miles to find somewhere to rest. "Sometimes they might have only a few minutes left to find a place," says Quinn.
He says the lack of availability and the high cost of parking at motorway service areas —often up to £30 a night — explain why lay-bys are jammed solid in the evening.
"If you go anywhere down the M5 corridor and pull off the motorway after 7.30pm, you'll see every lay-by is full. We need a proper network of truckstops close to the motorways and other major junctions.
"All drivers want is somewhere to park safely, get a shower and have something decent to eat. The problem is this may [require developing] a greenfield site, because nobody wants trucks near them."