Channon DIY on MSAs
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• New Transport Secretary Paul Channon is actively seeking proposals from developers of service areas on Britain's motorways and A roads, in an attempt to speed up the building of new sites.
Channon wants to ensure there are service areas at roughly 501cm intervals along main roads, and he is seeking to encourage the development of more sites by inviting developers to make suggestions for new service area locations.
Until now the Government has usually chosen to identify potential sites and then invite tenders from developers. The new scheme follows a successful trial in which the Department of Transport invited developers to find sites and present tenders for service areas on the M42. The successful developer was Esso.
"There are roads which do not at present have adequate facilites for the motorist," says Channon. "We believe that these needs will best be met . . . by a comprehensive provision of services on single sites," he says. The Government will "continue to rely on private initiative for the identification, development and management of such sites," he adds.
The Road Haulage Association says: "The more motorway service areas there are the better, but we are concerned that the new proposals make no mention of lorries or overnight parking facilities." The RHA hopes the Government will be able to ensure adequate provision of facilities for trucks and truck drivers in its agreements.