Drivers demand better facilities as UK’s worst service stations revealed
If you're a lorry driver looking for the best service station to stop at, a new survey suggests Folkestone Services is the place to be. On the flip side, Leeming Bar Services on the A1 (M) has been named the worst.
The survey, carried out by West Midlands-based haulier Breakwells Transport, ranked service stations across the UK based on HGV parking, price, healthy food options and hotel ratings.
Folkestone Services topped the list with a score of 62/100, closely followed by Lymm in Cheshire (61/100) and Cobham on the M25 (60/100). Meanwhile, at the bottom of the pile, Leeming Bar scored a miserable 20/100, followed by Barton Park (21/100) and Markham Vale (24/100).
A Breakwells spokesperson said, "This list shows the inconsistency in the quality of UK service stations.
Lorry drivers need to have suitable services available on their journeys to drive safely and well. Without proper rest and nourishment, drivers are more susceptible to fatigue, which is a major cause of accidents on the road.
"Every motorway should offer good service stations to stop at. More needs to be done, and so we're calling on the government to ensure all drivers have facilities accessible to them that are well-kept and inexpensive to stop at."
Breakwells Transport survey results: Folkestone - 62/100 Folkestone Services tops the list of best service stations for lorry drivers.
The service station, which is just minutes from the Eurotunnel, offers over 200 parking spaces at GBP26 for 24 hours, this includes a GBP6 food voucher to spend at one of its four healthy food places. It also has a hotel ranked 8/10 by guests. Lymm - 61/100
Lymm, which can be accessed from the M6 and M56, takes second spot in the survey due to having 305 parking spaces available for HGVs. Technically a truckstop, this service station stood out for its range of facilities, including laundry, showers, and a hotel. It costs GBP26 - including a GBP10 food voucher - for HGVs to stop here for 24 hours, and it has four healthier food options.
Cobham - 60/100 Located on the M25, the busy Cobham Services was praised by the survey for having the widest variety of food options available, with ten different food and drink places to choose from. Cobham boasts 170 HGV parking spaces that cost GBP38 for 24 hours.
Tebay - 59/100 One of the most unique stations on the list, Tebay, located on the M6 in Cumbria, offers just eight HGV parking spaces at GBP22 each. Tebay lacks parking spaces but has a wide array of healthy offerings from the farm shop and kitchens, the survey found.
There is also a 9/10-rated hotel available to stop in. Toddington - 58/100 Currently, Toddington (pictured) on the M1 has 50 parking spaces costing GBP22 per 24 hours and includes a GBP10 food voucher.
However, as part of a government investment scheme, 430 HGV spaces will be added and facilities will be improved further, the survey noted. The service also has five different food offerings and an 8/10 guest-rated hotel. Worst Service Stations
Leeming Bar - 20/100 Leeming Bar on the A1 (M) ranks as the worst service station on the list. With just one healthy food option available, the survey said it offers little choice for hungry travellers.
HGV drivers face a GBP15 charge for 24 hours in one of its 30 spaces, yet the site lacks a hotel, has poor WiFi, and is inconveniently located a mile from the nearest junction, the survey found. Barton Park - 21/100 Barton Park, located on the A1 (M), is rated as the second-worst service station.
It has 53 parking spaces for HGVs, costing GBP15 for 24 hours. According to its website, the service doesn't have WiFi or a hotel. Its one food offering is a Costa Express.
Markham Vale - 24/100 Located on the M1, Markham Vale offers only three HGV spaces, costing GBP19.99 per day. However, it's not signposted in advance and is easy to miss, the survey said, adding that it does not appear to have WiFi.
Route 74 Truckstop- 28/100 Route 74 has 150 HGV spaces, but at GBP39.60 for 24 hours, the survey found it to be one of the most expensive on the list. There are two food options and no hotel, meaning that anyone wanting to stop here on the M74 doesn't have much choice in food or accommodation, the survey said.
Junction 29 Truckstop - 29/100 The fifth-worst service station on the list is Junction 29 Truckstop, just off the M1. It costs GBP36.20 with a GBP9 meal voucher that can be spent at one of its two food outlets.
With 100 HGV spaces, it's one of the bigger truck stops on the list, but unfortunately, the lack of food and hotels, as well as the high price, pushed it into the lower ranks.
The full list of survey results can be accessed here