A truck stop has been praised for supporting lorry drivers during the Covid-19 crisis.
Whilst many facilities serving the UK roads network closed, “The ‘fechan Truckstop”, run by Eardley International, remained open, observing strict distancing regulations.
Husband and wife Graham Eardley and Mhairi Harvey, who operate the busy Ecclefechan transport hub, were determined not to let their lorry driver customers down as they took a break from their essential work.
Restrictions prevented the couple from keeping the indoor cafe premises open but they ensured lorry drivers could have hot drinks and meals served outside or for them to eat in their cabs.
Graham said: “The HGV drivers were amongst the unsung heroes of lockdown. They literally kept the country going and, especially during the early days of restrictions, we did not think enough was being done UK-wide to support them.”
The couple enlisted the support of Dumfriesshire constituency MSP Oliver Mundell to highlight the plight of drivers.
He and his father, MP David Mundell, toured the 12-acre site to personally thank Graham, Mhairi and the rest of the 15-strong workforce.
Oliver Mundell said: “The truckstop at Ecclefechan provided a vital service during an extremely challenging period.
“Lorry drivers were doing work of national importance and yet describe encountering difficulty in accessing some of the basic services they needed during rest periods because of the number of facilities closed around the country.”
The ‘fechan Diner was reopened indoors last Wednesday with limited seating when the Scottish Government further eased restrictions.
