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Who will fight our corner for better facilities?
Page 28
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THE CM/MICHELIN report on truckstops was an interesting bit of research, which perhaps falls in line with many of the government research projects into the blindingly obvious which can be read in most red-top newspapers or in the Richard Littlejohn column of the Daily Mail.
Everyone knows that there aren't enough truck parking spaces, the cost is too high and that European truckstops and MSAs are of a higher standard. But what is to be done about it? Who is fighting our corner?
Most MSA operators recently hiked up their overnight parking prices—not by the rate of inflation but by an incredible inflationbusting 20% .Well, how many operators rushed down to the customers and said "hey here are our new rates, 20% higher than last year's"?
The average cost of overnight parking in a truckstop (not an MSA) is around £10-£12. Some may charge more and some may charge less, but at most of those stops we, the truck drivers, are their only customers They don't get coach loads of pensioners or hundreds of cars or caravans; they have to make do with the clientele that they cater for: truckers.
Sowhyisitthata truckstop can charge around a tcnner for overnight parking and meals at around a fiver, often with cashback on the meal taken from the overnight charge, yet an MSA operator whose clientele consists of every motorised road user in the country charges an astonishing 100% more for overnight parking while a decent meal will cost you around another 100% more than at the truckstop?
The government recently offered a consultation on roadside facilities, and looking at the names of those people. who took part in the consultation process I'm surprised that the truck parking hasn't been put aside for caravans as more Mr and Mrs Caravanners responded than truck drivers.
The first thing to do is claim back the land that was given away to the MSAs in the eighties, claim some more land to go with it, resurface it whenever the motorway is resurfaced, put down proper lines and more toilet blocks closer to the parking area, ring fence it with a card-operated security barrier and charge a refundable it 0 per night to park there.
Who's going to run with that one then? The RHA.FTA,URTU or TGWU? Don't all rush at once chaps you might hurt yourselves as you pull your thumb from your backsides where it seems to have been for the past 10 years.
John Hunt Breaston, Derbyshire