Motorway service station ban reversed

The National Roads Authority has lifted its objection to providing service stations along motorways, and has devised a new strategy that will see suitable sites for the facilities included in the designs for all new major roads.

The new strategy, seen by The Irish Times, states that it is now the "policy of the NRA that service areas should be provided at intervals of approximately 50 to 60 kms, where feasible, for motorway or high-quality dual carriageway."

Service areas will also be developed alongside existing motorway or at interchanges with the NRA identifying and developing appropriate sites before contracting them out to a private operator. The State agency has also specified the standards that all motorway service stations must meet.

According to the strategy, service station operators must provide food for a minimum of 16 hours a day and fuel and toilet facilities around the clock. The site must also have extensive parking spaces and a Garda enforcement area.

The NRA also said it will provide rest areas, including toilets, parking and picnic facilities every 25 to 30 kms where possible, the majority of which will be accessed directly from the motorway.

The NRA will provide a system of signs on motorways telling motorists of these new facilities. But the authority has warned that if an operator allows standards to fall the signs for that service station will be removed.

The new strategy follows a review of the NRA policy on service stations last summer that was called for by the Minister for Transport Martin Cullen.

He sought the review after the NRA's objection to service stations along motorways attracted criticism from motorists and hauliers. Road users complained the policy would force them to travel long distances from the motorway into small towns and villages for fuel and toilet facilities.

Mr Cullen objected to the NRA opposition to service stations on motorways, contained in its 2004 annual report, saying the benefits of bypassing smaller towns would be lost if traffic was forced back on to them in search of services.

The new strategy is an attempt to combine the needs of motorists with the NRA's aim of trying to restrict access to major roads for safety reasons.

By law, only the NRA and local authorities can bring forward a development proposal relating to a motorway to An Bord Pleanála, meaning that service stations along new motorways will be tightly controlled. The NRA said a proliferation of service areas could be a safety risk.

NRA stated in its strategy that it would also try to restrict access to dual carriageway sections where the speed limit is 50 to 60 km, rather than sections where the speed limit is higher.

Before being approved, the authority says a service area plan must clearly show it "would not significantly affect the safety of road users and the operational efficiency of the roadway concerned."

As part of its review the NRA examined international practice for positioning service stations. It found that in recent years some countries had concentrated these facilities at interchanges.

According to the NRA, such an approach led to significant cost savings as purpose-built slip roads did not have to be supplied. Service stations at interchanges can also serve traffic from both directions.

In Britain approximately half of the service areas are at interchanges, with the remainder at the side of motorways. Contracts to operate service stations will be awarded on the basis of competitive tenders run by the NRA. The NRA has over 500 kms of new motorway or dual carriageway under construction this year.