A national survey of over 120 top managers in the Irish transport industry revealed that it is an even worse state of affairs for truck parks, with 98 per cent citing them in the same two categories.

The survey was carried out jointly by Michelin's truck tyre division and specialist transport magazine Fleet Management, and also found that 97 per cent believed that the dining options available to drivers left a lot to be desired.

Jarlath Sweeney, Editor of Fleet Management, explains: "The road transport industry's opinion of the facilities available at Irish truck stops has never been awash with praise, but the results of the latest Michelin Transport Barometer make particularly gloomy reading.

"It is even less encouraging when you take into account the current policy of the National Roads Authority, which states that it is not in favour of establishing motorway service stations," he adds.

Equally problematic were the difficulties faced by drivers when trying to locate a secure place to stop when they need to take a designated rest break. Law states that a truck driver must take a break every 4.5 hours, but with more and more villages and small towns being bypassed, or commercial vehicles simply being restricted from entering, finding a safe place to stop has become increasingly more difficult.

Just seven per cent of the hauliers surveyed claimed their drivers had no difficulty in finding a location to take a rest break. The remaining 93 per cent admitted to having difficulties, 70 per cent of which classed this as extreme difficulty.

"In comparison with our neighbours in Europe we must have some of the worst facilities for truck drivers, and this is nothing to be proud of," says Tom Dennigan, National Sales Manager of Michelin Ireland.

"It is becoming more and more common to see signs outside what used to be truck stops stating 'No Trucks Allowed.' They have begun catering for the tourist market, and who can blame them - after all, a truck with one driver takes up the same amount of parking space as a coach load of 50 tourists. But the impact this is having is serious, and the issue needs addressing with pressing urgency."

The survey also revealed that even when a driver has found somewhere he or she consider to be safe to stop, if it is not a registered lorry park then the Gardai can be quick to move them on. A staggering 78 per cent of operators could recall instances in the past three months when their drivers had either been moved on or fined whilst trying to take one of the rest breaks designated by law.

Full details of the survey can be read in the current issue of Fleet Management, released on 15th July.