Somerset M5 services ranked among worst in the country

Sedgemoor Northbound and Taunton Deane Southbound ranked among the bottom five in Transport Focus’s survey of 123 UK motorway services, while Bridgwater and Taunton Deane Northbound both landed in the bottom 10.

Gordano services ranked among the bottom 30.

Overall satisfaction stood at 88 per cent at Sedgemoor Northbound and 87 per cent at Taunton Deane Southbound.

Bridgwater and Taunton Deane Northbound each scored 90 per cent, while Gordano reached 94 per cent.

The country’s top-rated services scored 99 per cent satisfaction.

Louise Collins, director at Transport Focus, said: "Motorway services have improved significantly over the years, and road users are seeing the benefit.

"A good stop can make a real difference to a journey, helping people get back on the road feeling better than when they arrived.

"Rotherham’s debut at the top of the table and the turnaround at Hartshead Moor Eastbound show what good services can offer.

"We’ve also seen real progress on accessibility.

"It shows what can be achieved when the industry recognises an issue and works together to tackle it.

"There is still more to do, including on car parking, wayfinding and facilities for HGV drivers, and our survey will help us track progress in these areas in the years ahead."

Welcome Break Rotherham on the M1 topped the national rankings after opening in January 2025, with EV charging, a Changing Places toilet, a children’s play area and a gym for HGV drivers.

Rugby and Sawtry, both run by Moto, plus Welcome Break’s Sarn Park and Moto’s Kinross also scored 99 per cent satisfaction.

Overall satisfaction across the UK motorway network rose to 95 per cent, up from 94 per cent in 2023, while the gap between the best and worst sites narrowed.

Visitors value clean toilets, friendly staff and good accessibility, but car parking, wayfinding and HGV facilities still need work.

Welcome Break runs Sedgemoor Northbound, while Roadchef runs Taunton Deane Southbound.

Moto runs Bridgwater, Welcome Break runs Gordano and Roadchef runs Taunton Deane Northbound.

Despite the low scores at some sites, the survey found motorway services generally improve travellers’ wellbeing.

The number of visitors feeling happy or relaxed rose by 31 percentage points during their stop, while those feeling tired, stressed or frustrated fell by 22 points.

Disabled visitors also reported better experiences, with 75 per cent saying their needs were met well, up from 66 per cent last year.

Toilet satisfaction stood at 92 per cent, while staff friendliness and helpfulness scored 95 per cent.

However, value for money continues to be a sticking point.

Only 59 to 74 per cent of visitors thought food and drink offered good value, while just 58 per cent were satisfied with EV charging costs.

HGV drivers were less satisfied than other users, particularly with parking and showers.

Transport Focus said the results help operators target improvements and track progress.

Transport Focus runs the Motorway Services User Survey to measure visitors’ experiences at motorway services across England, Scotland and Wales.

The survey gathers feedback from a wide range of road users and provides a consistent measure of satisfaction at motorway services.

Researchers carried out the 2026 survey at 123 motorway services across Great Britain between May 13 and July 5, 2026.

Researchers interviewed visitors face-to-face as they left each motorway service area.

A total of 33,742 motorway service users completed the core survey, an average of about 275 per site.

Of those, 5,619 respondents completed the extended questionnaire.