Alconbury truck stop to close
Date: 24 August 2007
The Alconbury truck stop on the A14 in Cambridgeshire is due to close on Friday, August 31st, Transport News Network reports.
The secure site provided space for 215 freight haulage vehicles, and was a designated parking area for hazardous loads.
Its closure has been met with dismay by the Freight Transport Association (FTA), but the local council is powerless to prevent it happening because it is a private commercial operation.
"Alconbury is the latest in a catalogue of truck stop closures across the country," said the FTA's Natalie Chapman.
"The effect of shutting down the facility has been compounded by closure of a number of laybys along the A14 which is a strategically important trade route linking the east coast container ports of Felixstowe and Harwich to the Midlands."
She added that the government must ensure that there are enough facilities around the country for drivers to stop at, especially seeing as strict driver hours laws require that freight haulage drivers take regular breaks.
"A national strategy is needed that is championed by government and which places an obligation on highways authorities to ensure that they not only keep the traffic moving but that they also provide facilities for vehicles to stop," she stated.
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