Islington to fine idling drivers to reduce air pollution

Drivers in Islington now face on-the-spot fines for leaving their car engines on when they are not needed. As of August 1st, Islington Council has started issuing fines to idling motorists in the borough in an effort to reduce emissions from road traffic. It is hoped that the move will help to improve air quality throughout the area.

The council believes this move is the first time a campaign that fines drivers who have left their engines running unnecessarily has been used in the UK. As part of the new campaign, drivers across Islington will also be educated on the impact they can have on air quality by leaving their engines running while their car is stationary. 

Council officers will now be asking idle drivers to shut off their engines, providing them with a Switch Off Your Engine leaflet. Any motorist that fails to turn their engine off will be issued with an on-the-spot fine under the Road Traffic Regulations 2002.

This law is relevant to all vehicles using public roads - including private cars, buses and taxis - that have stopped without switching off their engines. It does not cover any vehicles that are moving slowly as a result of heavy traffic or road words, and does not include those stopped at traffic lights, any vehicles being tested or repaired or anyone defrosting a windscreen.

The council has said that an idling engine releases around the same amount of emissions as a moving vehicle. By switching off engines when they are not needed, the amount of air pollution across Islington could be drastically reduced, while also cutting down fuel costs for individual drivers.

Transport for London (TfL) is also working with Islington Council to see buses that produce high levels of emissions switch their engines off while at bus stops, at the end of a route and also when switching driver.

Councillor Claudia Webbe, environment chief, said: “We are committed to improving air quality, which is why we are clamping down on idling buses, lorries and diesel cars as part of our air-quality strategy. 

“We are taking action to tackle the problem of air pollution but we need Boris Johnson to do his share by introducing a low-polluting bus fleet and addressing the high number of polluting lorries that travel through our streets on a daily basis.”