Tweet
Hefty mark-ups on popular snacks, drinks and fuel at motorway service stations represent poor value for money, a new consumer survey warns today.
On the eve of the first May bank holiday weekend, Which? Car visited 51 sites across the UK from Folkestone to Stirling and found bottles of water on sale at four times the price they would cost in a local supermarket.
Diesel cost 13p a litre more than at a non-motorway fuel station.
There are 113 motorway service stations around Britain, most operated by Moto, Welcome Break or RoadChef.
Which? Car visited 51 sites over two days in February 2009, noting the cost of petrol and diesel and whether there was a working air pump.
Researchers also shopped for a selection of snacks that cost £5.48 at Sainsbury's.
Six motorway fuel station shops charged more than £10 for the five items. The most expensive was Moto Reading on the M4, charging £10.31.
Bottled water had the biggest mark-up, costing £1.89 in the main service area at Moto Southwaite on the M6 - the supermarket price for a 500ml bottle of Buxton or Evian water was just 43p.
Filling up at a motorway service station cost £7.15 extra in one case.
At BP/Moto Hilton Park services on the M6 it cost £61.55 to fill a tank with diesel compared with £54.40 at the cheapest alternative.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
More...
