A motorway services on the M62 has been named by a transport watchdog as the worst in Britain following an extensive customer survey.
Hartshead Moor East is the least popular out of 119 service stations analysed, according to the survey of 31,000 visitors carried out by the Transport Focus watchdog. The Welcome Break-owned site, on the M62 near Huddersfield, received an overall satisfaction rating of just 80 per cent. Only three out of four, or 75 per cent, of visitors were satisfied with the toilets.
The services is on the busiest route across the Pennines from Lancashire to Yorkshire, which includes the UK's highest motorway point, where the M62 reaches 1,221ft above sea level near Denshaw in Saddleworth, Oldham. Hartshead Moor also has a section for westbound traffic, which received a score of 87 per cent in the survey.
Welcome Break said in a statement: "We are very disappointed with the results from our site at Hartshead Moor East.
"We have received the detailed comments from Transport Focus and we will be working closely with our teams to address the feedback from the report as well as prioritising the site for future investment."
Rugby services on the M6, which is run by Moto, was rated the best motorway services in the user survey by the independent transport user watchdog.
The highest rated motorway services in the survey were:
Rugby (M6)
Donington Park (M1)
Blackburn with Darwen (M65)
Strensham North (M5)
Medway East (M2)
The lowest rated services were:
Hartshead Moor East (M62)
Lancaster South (M6)
Charnock Richard South (M6)
Birchanger Green (M11)
Warwick South (M40)
Rivington North services on the M61 - run by Euro Garages - came tenth in the top 10 of the highest rated services.
Transport Focus, howver, said overall, 93 per cent of visitors were satisfied with the facilities on offer at the services surveyed, including 61 per cent who said they are very satisfied.
Overall satisfaction for individual 'motorway services areas' ranged from 100 per cent - at Rugby - down to 80 per cent - at Hartshead Moor East. Transport Focus said even at the lower end, 80 per cent or more of users were satisfied.
Food and drink, toilets, sustainability and parking were assessed in the survey together with other criteria.
The average satisfaction score given by all users of services was 93 per cent, including 61 per cent who said they were very satisfied. Just 3 per cent said they were very or fairly dissatisfied.
Value for money of refreshments was a key area of concern, with only 63 per cent of respondents describing it as fairly or very good. In contrast, some 88 per cent of visitors were satisfied with the toilets. Meanwhile, 31 per cent said they felt tired, stressed or frustrated when they arrived at a services, but just 7 per cent had those feelings when they left.
Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: "As many people gear up for a half-term getaway, motorway services provide a great place to stop and take a break.
"Many of us, when we think services, think about stopping for a toilet break – it’s reassuring to see that these are consistently highly rated. Our survey shows motorway service operators deliver good overall customer experience and facilities, but visitors don't always feel they get value for money.
"Services continue to do a good job of their most important safety function – allowing drivers to rest and relax before getting back on the road."
Visitors to services were asked for their views on the toilets, staff, value of the food and drink, electric vehicle charging, and the impact their visit had on their mood. The survey was carried out between May 25 and July 17.
AA president Edmund King said the high-quality provision of electric vehicle chargers at Rugby was 'the sort of facilities all motorway service areas should have'. He added: "In terms of road safety, it is essential that drivers take a break at least every two-and-a-half hours, so it is vital that attractive service areas with all the facilities encourage drivers to stop."
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