Motorists must wait for service

Motorists will have to wait until at least 2009 to be able to stop on a motorway in the Republic to buy petrol or have a cup of coffee.

That is the message from the National Roads Authority (NRA) which admits it was surprised by an initial lack of interest expressed by major oil companies.

The lack of take-up was attributed to doubts about the size of the market, and uncertainty about the number and location of the motorway service areas.

The NRA has since moved ahead with the naming of 12 locations, and is seeking to offer the franchise for all the outlets to one or at most two major oil retailers.

They will be expected to secure a partner to run the retail and café elements of the motorway service stations.

However, an NRA spokesman confirmed that it would be 2009 at the earliest before the first opened with "a number" not opening before 2010.

Because of the size of the market - petrol sales on the Republic's main routes are said to be similar to those in the Greater Manchester Area - the NRA has ruled out granting franchises to family-operated service stations.

According to the authority, a "worst case scenario" would see petrol stations on motorways closing, while a deal with one major supplier would provide for cross-subsidisation of busy stations and weaker ones.

The move is unlikely to please petrol retailers in bypassed towns and villages, and who now see their market moving while they are prohibited from moving after it.

Another difficulty for the NRA is access to land. While it hopes to establish the service stations on land it already owned, in some cases it will have to revert to compulsory purchase - which was very unpopular with the farming community when the roads were built.

The move was also unpopular with the urban taxpayer when the generous terms farmers received were revealed in the media.

The original plan was not to have service stations on the motorways at all, but the NRA subsequently reversed that decision, pointing out the benefits of bypassing smaller towns would be lost if motorists and hauliers were forced back into them for fuel and toilet facilities.

Under the NRA strategy, motorway service stations must offer food for 16 hours a day and fuel and toilet facilities around the clock.