Tackling anti-Idling in Newham is our business

Newham Council is supporting a renewed campaign across London that is encouraging businesses to tackle air pollution caused by idling engines. 

The Idling Action Project, supported by the Mayor of London, has seen councils across the Capital working together to cut dangerous vehicle emissions, but there is now a new call for action amidst emerging evidence that air pollution is linked to poor recovery and higher infection rates of Covid-19 due to damage caused to the lungs.

Idling Action’s #EnginesOff campaign asks businesses to pledge that their drivers and other employees will not leave their engines on when parked. As well as asking businesses to pledge, Newham Council’s fleet of vehicles will avoid idling whenever possible with employees undertaking driver training in line with the pledge.

To show the Council’s commitment to tackling air pollution and protecting health, powers were adopted to issue fixed penalty notices for idling under the Road Traffic Regulations 2002. Idling your car unnecessarily is an offence and is monitored and enforced throughout the borough. If you fail to turn your engine off after being spoken to you may be issued with a penalty notice of £20.

Councillor James Asser, Newham’s Cabinet member for environment, highways and sustainable transport, said: “Running an engine while parked – or idling – adds unnecessary air pollution especially in hotspots such as outside schools and hospitals".

“Toxic air from car fumes is very harmful to our health. The long-term effects of air pollution can lead to serious health problems such as lung cancer, asthma and heart diseases, or even death. During Covid-19 lockdown, everyone benefited from low-traffic streets and less pollution. We must all help to protect people’s health by cutting the air pollution that results from engine idling. We’re calling on all businesses to support the #EnginesOff campaign.”

As part of the #EnginesOff pledge, Idling Action is offering drivers free training and a toolkit of resources to businesses whose operations involve vehicle fleets, professional drivers, or employees who travel by car to work.

To find out more about the #EnginesOff Campaign, visit www.idlingaction.london or visit our Air quality in Newham webpage  to find out more about anti-idling initiatives in Newham.

Published: 13 Aug 2020