While truckstops south of the border get spruced up with industry and government money, Scottish lorry parks are left to fend for themselves.
In the February 2025 issue of Transport News, RHA’s Martin Reid spelt out the urgency to David Craik.
Almost three years on from the Scottish Government announcing that it was to investigate the state of truckstop facilities in Scotland, it has admitted that it is no further forward in setting a launch date for the probe.
The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) in 2022 laid out a framework for investment in the strategic transport network over the next 20 years.
In total it made 45 proposals of which recommendation 36 called for a ‘detailed national audit and review of support for lorry parks to address barriers hampering their development, consider their financial stability and develop adequate standards’.
The aim was to develop more safe, secure, accessible and inclusive facilities across Scotland.
This would include consultation with the freight industry, representative bodies, local authorities, and other stakeholders to collect views on the provision of lorry parks including where and what type of facilities were required and the potential demand for infrastructure for alternative fuel zero emission vehicles.
The audit would also look to indicate which routes have gaps in provision and help Transport Scotland in making future decisions ‘on the need (or otherwise) to address market failure’.
However, when the review will take place is still not clear. How big a priority it is for the Scottish Government is also uncertain.
A Scottish Government spokesperson told Transport News: “Many of the 45 STPR2 Recommendations are already being delivered but given this is a long-term plan it is not possible to deliver all the recommendations at once.
“However, Transport Scotland officials are currently considering how best to progress Recommendation 36, which is subject to the availability of budget.”
The spokesperson added: “The latest Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts, following the UK Government Autumn Budget Statement, show an improved medium-term outlook for capital.
“The Scottish Government will continue to consider its longer-term infrastructure plans after we receive clarity from the UK Government over our multi-year capital funding envelope in the Spring.”
Martin Reid, policy director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the Road Haulage Association (RHA) is exasperated by the delay.
“We and the drivers who bed down in and outside of these facilities overnight need the audit to take place,” he told Transport News. “We need the Government to take action and carry out the audit.”
Safety and security at truckstops are of particular concern. According to the RHA, freight crime costs the UK economy around £250 million annually.
Data from the TAPA EMEA Intelligence System (TIS) shows that in the last two years major losses in the UK include: £332,120 (€400,000) of pharmaceutical products stolen from a vehicle in a secured parking place in Derby, £415,150 (€500,000) of jewellery/precious metals stolen from a truck in an unclassified parking location in Birmingham, and 22 pallets of sports shoes valued at £214,005 (€257,745) from a truck at an unsecured parking location in Lockerbie, Scotland.
Theft from lorries parked up are not the only criminal hotspot. Other thefts were from logistic warehouses and from lorries en route to their destination.
From this data it can be seen that drivers are vulnerable everywhere but having safe and secure truck stops with welcoming facilities are one place where thieves could be deterred.
“If the facilities at a truck stop are not adequate for a driver, then they will park up at other locations which are not so secure. This exacerbates the problem,” Martin Reid explained.
Action is being taken to improve the security of truck stops but most of the good work is being done down south.
Examples of investment in England include £20m from National Highways, which manages roads in England, to improve security, showers and eating facilities as well as exploring increasing parking spaces for lorry drivers.
In addition, there is the £32.5 million Department for Transport’s HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme which provides match funding to support industry operators to improve HGV facilities including more capacity and security for drivers including lighting systems, CCTV and secure fencing.
Sites must be located on, or near to, the strategic road network in England.
He wants schemes such as the parking and driver welfare grant scheme to be either extended to Scotland or for the Scottish Government to create something as innovative.
“If you look at the figures, you’ll see that freight crime is currently more of a problem in England than in Scotland. The primary concerns here are the overall facilities for drivers,” he said.
The TIS data backs that comment up. It finds that the West Midlands is the prime ‘hotspot’ for recorded cargo thefts in the last two years with the east Midlands another popular hunting ground, followed by Yorkshire and The Humber.
Martin Reid’s fear is that if truck stops – thanks to those Government and other schemes – do become more secure down south then as with other forms of crimes they will look to move to the area of most vulnerability.
“The fear is that we create a two-tier system with safer truck stops in England than here in Scotland,” he said.
“That could see freight crime and the criminals associated with it looking more at Scotland as a potential new hotspot area.
“It also potentially has an economic impact if companies and hauliers bypass certain towns and roads in Scotland because they can guarantee more safer parking spots in England.”
Transport Scotland when asked said simply that the Scottish Government does not operate a ‘HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme’ as currently operating in England.
In the meantime, it is the RHA that is set to lead the fight for better and more secure facilities.
On a national level the trade association has called on the Labour Government to make freight crime a specific criminal offence and to work with local planning authorities to improve truck parking capacity.
“It is what drivers throughout the UK deserve,” he said. “The Scottish Government needs to do more.”
