A lack of service stations along the State's motorway network is a major safety issue for drivers, it was warned today.
Mr Jimmy Quinn of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) said the National Roads Authority (NRA) strategy against service stations and rest stops along the expanding motorway network was flawed.
“There is a major safety issue,” Mr Quinn warned. “Any day you have drivers driving for a potential stretch of three to four hours and no facilities to stop and rest and take a statutory break, you would certainly have a safety issue.
“From a tourism point of view, from a road safety point of view, the strategy is flawed.”
Mr Michael Egan of the NRA admitted the body would not follow standard European practice of allowing for service stations at regular intervals along the motorway.
Mr Egan also put the NRA's strategy down to safety reasons. “We have concerns in relation to safety, from our own research. We have reviewed the accident records based on data supplied to the authority by the gardai,” he said.
“Approximately 50% of all accidents involved turning movements on to or off of roads.”
Mr Egan said the State's motorway and dual carriageway network involves frequent interchanges to access towns and local communities - providing access to existing facilities.
He added: “What we are striving to achieve is a situation where the private sector will respond to the demand such as is out there for these types of facilities.
“But they would ideally be located close to purpose-designed interchanges, that, as I say, will be constructed at relatively short intervals along the motorway/dual carriageway network.
“So the authority will facilitate the public in identifying these facilities through an appropriate signage programme.”
The NRA said the Irish road network was small by European terms. Mr Egan said there had been a strong response from the private sector to provide rest areas, restaurant and parking facilities close to interchanges to motorways.
“There will not be any mystery tour or long journeys required to access these facilities,” he told RTE Radio. “Through a combination of easy access and heightened safety, we think this is the ideal strategy.”
Mr Quinn said many shop owners in towns along the main routes do not like hauliers arriving in the early hours of the morning looking to access toilet facilities and buy a coffee.
“We are not looking for full five-star services every 20 minutes but at least a rest area with an automatic toilet, that people can get some respite because you cannot predict when you are going to get tired,” he said.
PA