London motorists face £20 fine if engines left running while idling

Motorists in central London who leave their engines running while idling may face fines of £20 under new plans to improve air quality.

Car emissions coming under the microscope in Central London Image by Firing up the quattro.. / CC BY 2.0

Westminster City Council is to employ traffic marshals on the streets of the West End, in a bid to stop motorists adding to the pollution. The Evening Standard reports that penalty charges will rise to £40 if not paid within a month but the Council say fines will only be issued as a “last resort” if drivers don’t co-operate.

Authorities believes pollution from vehicles are linked to thousands of Londoners’ deaths every year. The new move, which comes into force in May, has been welcomed by Green campaigners who believe it will heighten awareness. However motor representatives have claimed it will be little more than a money-raising exercise unless it is properly enforced.

A number of councils, including Camden and Wandsworth, are already policing no-idling zones and issuing information campaigns.

The initiative comes as Mayor Boris Johnson warned Londoner of the risk of high pollution levels. He advised people who exercise to protect their health. Friends of the Earth’s London campaigner, Jenny Bates, said this move would help to cut pollution as well as raising driver awareness.

The director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, Neil Greig, believed the “key issue” would be how marshals enforced the fines, adding that they should target buses, large trucks and utility company vans instead of private motor cars just pulling up for a moment.