The National Roads Authority (NRA) has confirmed that it will not follow standard European practice and allow for service stations on the State's expanding motorway network.
Following a recent review of its policy, the NRA, which has responsibility for the planning and construction of motorways and dual carriageways, has confirmed it will object to applications to build service stations along motorways.
"The authority's policy will continue to be to raise objections to any proposals that are made for the provision of online service areas," it said in its recently published 2004 annual report.
Jimmy Quinn of the National Road Haulage Association said the authority was ignoring international best practice.
"Ireland is the only country in Europe with this policy. Drivers can now go from the Border to Portlaoise without passing any service stations. This means we are being forced into little towns that don't want us there," Mr Quinn said.
According to Conor Faughnan of the AA, the rest of Europe follows a format of building service areas to ensure that large volumes of traffic are catered for without leaving the motorway network. "It would have been logical to have followed that pattern," he said.
The National Safety Council has also expressed surprise at the decision. "The NRA should be looking at having service stations during the motorway planning stage so that the roads are capable of having stations that are safe," said the council's Alan Richardson.
The NRA says that because services already exist in villages and towns that are being bypassed there is no need to build further stations at the roadside. It says it will develop a "signage policy" for motorists so they will be able to find the service areas and other facilities in the towns and villages.