The Mayor of London has come under attack after launching a campaign telling the capital's motorists to switch off their engines when stationary only to admit the law will not be enforced.
Mayor Boris Johnson has been accused of “hot air” after Transport for London admitted they will not punish drivers despite the traffic pollution clampdown.
Local authorities are authorised under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002 to stop the idling of stationary vehicles. A fine of £20 can be issued to those not in compliance.
Local London Assembly member, John Biggs said: “This is just hot air from the Mayor! If people are breaking the law then TfL should fine them.”
“However, the Mayor has done this before. He banned alcohol on the tube, which is not being enforced and he can provide no information on how much drinking went on before and after the ban.”
“I expect another press release next month saying what a success it has been. Watch this space.”
The Mayor launched the new campaign last week encouraging Londoners to turn off their engines when their vehicle is stationary for more than a minute.
It was designed to be part of a package of measures to improve air quality, cut harmful pollution and clean up the city ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Promoted by Transport for London (TfL), the new 'no engine idling' campaign urges drivers of all vehicles to make a small change and switch off their engines when they are parked or when picking up and dropping off people or goods, reducing the amount of unnecessary and harmful exhaust fumes emitted.
The campaign also highlights the health benefits of reducing pollution levels to both prevent and alleviate illnesses such as asthma and heart and lung conditions.
But Assembly member Biggs added: “This is an important issue and his response is at risk of trivialising it. If it is a serious issue it needs a serious response.”
Turning off an engine and restarting it after a minute or longer causes less pollution than keeping the engine idling and uses less fuel.
If all drivers in central London switched off their engines, rather than idling unnecessarily, for one minute each day this could reduce annual PM10 emissions (tiny airborne particles generated principally by road transport) by the equivalent of a medium sized diesel car travelling 2.5 million kilometres, or making three return trips to the moon.
The campaign is aimed at all drivers including those of cars, buses, coaches and taxis but will only be voluntary and not enforced.
Black cabs account for around a quarter of PM10 emissions in central London with up to 15 per cent of that estimated to be as a result of taxi drivers leaving their engines idling when stationary.
Work to reduce engine idling has already been delivered by TfL with a small team of taxi marshals who monitor taxi ranks at busy central London mainline stations and on other street ranks where air quality is particularly poor to help reduce vehicle emissions, including from engine idling.
The marshals politely request offending engines are turned off but are instructed not to hand out tickets.
Research commissioned by the Mayor's office has suggested that poor air quality contributes to an equivalent of around 4,300 premature deaths in London in a year, with many people, especially children and older people, having their quality of life adversely impacted by it.
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