From the 1st of August motorists in the borough of Islington who leave their engines on whilst stationary will be advised to turn them off or face £20 fine in a move to combat deadly air pollution.
Green Cllr Caroline Russell on BBC Breakfast discussing the first anti-idling measure of its kind in the UK. Image: Robin Klassnik
The policy was first proposed by Cllr Caroline Russell but was dismissed earlier in the year by the Labour-led Council as “political posturing”. Despite this, the council have now decided to support the measure which could help reduce the number of deaths due to air pollution in the borough – currently 200 a year.
Speaking in the Islington Tribune, Clean Air in London award-winner Caroline said: “It is encouraging to see the council finally taking a more active approach to reducing air pollution with their ‘don’t be idle’ campaign to educate drivers about the need to switch off vehicle engines when stationary.”
The Highbury East Councillor added, however, that more needs to be done by the council to tackle the borough’s worryingly high pollution levels:
“Addressing engine idling is just one part of the jigsaw, we also need to reduce the need to travel by car and promote active travel: walking and cycling.
“Labour is also still refusing to call for Islington to be included in the Mayor’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) from 2020. This would be a long overdue and welcome step towards a full ban on diesel and a healthier, diesel-free city.”
Editor: Please note this article was edited on 6/8/14, removing the word “police”. Apologies for the error.