Better service at areas needed
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BETTER quality food and more value for money and higher standards are something that drivers have a right to expect from motorway service areas says the latest volume of the Prior Report on motorway services published this week.
The committee says that it recognises the problems of surges in demand and long opening hours.
But while the committee also recognises the problems of a constantly high standard of food this does nothing to explain the divergence of standards at different areas.
Training
Now the committee wants the operators to improve their standards by using higher quality raw materials and to give more training to staff.
One concession to the service area operator which Prior would be happy to see is a shorter menu and more use of technology in the areas as it becomes available.
And Prior wants to see a flying squad of fully qualified inspectors visiting the areas to ensure that standards are kept high.
But he does recognise that to achieve this the system must be accepted by the operators.
Standards
On menus, the committee hopes that the operators would feel able to offer a more specialised menu to drivers at slack times of the day — but this too would be limited.
The committee wants the drivers using the service areas to play a part in the maintenance of standards by not only complaining when bad food is served but by complimenting the staff when the food is good.
In his report published last week Mr Prior recommended the establishment of a new authority to run the service areas and wanted new facilities for drivers enabling them to park overnight and be provided with cheap and clean accommodation.