§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all companies providing breakdown and repair services at motorway service stations.
§ Mr. HoramBreakdown and emergency repair services are provided by the lessees of all 37 open service areas with one exception. This is at Heston Service Area (M4) where local garages offer convenient and adequate services.
521WThe companies concerned are Trust Houses Forte, Granada, Rank, Ross, Galleon, Mobil Oil, Kenning Group, Mecca, Westmorland Motorway Services, BP Oil and Blue Boar Group.
§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Transport if any obligation or restriction is placed upon firms providing breakdown and repair services at motorway service stations to accept the AA and RAC franchises.
§ Mr. HoramService areas are the private property of the operator on lease to him. The lessee buys exclusive rights by competitive tender to provide services on his premises and pays rent to the Department for this privilege. However, where a service area lessee is unable to effect a repair within a reasonable time then a driver of a broken down vehicle can, with the lessees consent, call in assistance from outside.
Both the AA and RAC in their respective handbooks point out that motorway service areas are excluded from their free breakdown service.