Our drive to improve air quality forges ahead with new measures to tackle idling vehicles

On 18 September 2019, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed to introduce a traffic management order (TMO) that allows enforcement action against drivers who are caught idling. This applies to all roads in the borough and will start in January 2020.

An idling car can produce up to twice as much exhaust emissions as a moving car, which contain a range of air pollutants that can affect the quality of air in the environment.

Councillor Sophie McGeevor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: ‘We urgently need to change public attitudes to idling as many don’t realise the risk this poses to people’s health and the environment.

‘Air quality in London is a public health crisis and we all have a part to play in reducing air pollution. We hope fining drivers for idling will deter them from doing this – the overall benefit from the small action of switching off car engines while stationary cannot be underestimated.’