subject: Motorway Menaces [print this page] Its always been a bit of an issue for drivers making long journeys; running out of petrol on route. And motorway services have long since been cashing in on our predicament, boosting their prices as they know they have the monopoly on us filling up our tanks.
But market analyst Mintel reported this week that the motorway service stations have been losing over eleven million pounds per year as motorists have become savvy and come prepared, filling up their tanks before a long journey. The survey found that twenty four percent of people haven't stopped at a service station for the past three years, and of the number that do stop, only forty two percent would actually buy food, and for many of them this is just a coffee instead of a full meal.
The current recession has seen a fall in road use, mainly due to the rising costs of petrol and car insurance. One in five motorists now takes their own food for a journey if they are going to miss a meal, and families pack plenty of snacks and sweets to keep the kids occupied.
Mintels survey revealed that around thirty percent of Britain's road users only used service stations to go to the toilet, make a phone call or stretch their legs on a long road journey.
With the cost of Car Insurance and petrol steadily rising, maybe the petrol and service stations should consider dropping the prices to stay more user friendly for road users on long journeys across the country.
