The dangers of unnecessary idling

The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) need to do more to discourage vehicle idling.

A motion agreed unanimously today by the London Assembly encourages action to tackle air pollution by reducing the idling of all road vehicle engines – including private cars, taxis, private hire vehicles, public sector vehicles, buses, coaches, vans and lorries.

Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, who proposed the motion said:

“If every car, van, taxi and lorry driver stopped idling it would not end air pollution in London, but it would certainly make a real difference and it is a difference that could be quickly and easily made.

The Mayor and TfL need to step up their activities and ensure that idling of vehicles and the unnecessary pollution they create becomes a thing of the past.”

Tom Copley AM, who seconded the motion said:

“It has been encouraging to see that tackling air pollution in London has been high on the Mayor’s agenda, but it is evident that a lot more needs to be done.

“One of the most significant causes of air pollution is the idling of engines of all road vehicles. Unfortunately, TfL’s previous campaign to address this issue has had limited reach amongst Londoners and failed to yield any significant behavioural changes amongst road users.

“This is why I am calling upon the Mayor to push TfL to deliver more ambitious and effective policies to reduce engine idling, alongside implementing a more extensive public awareness campaign to dissuade road users from allowing their vehicle to idle and exacerbate London’s poor air quality”.

The full text of the motion is:

This Assembly notes the serious levels of air pollution across London and while there are many causes of air pollution that significant levels are created by road traffic.

This Assembly believes that a small but important role in reducing air pollution could be taken by far more effective action to tackle the idling of engines of all road vehicles, whether by private cars, taxis, private hire vehicles, public sector vehicles, buses, coaches, vans and lorries.

This Assembly notes with regret that TfL’s past actions on this issue have not always been highly effective in changing attitudes or leading to any demonstrative change in actions, as highlighted by the lack of any emails in 2015 to a dedicated no idling email address created by TfL.

This Assembly also regrets that information campaigns have only been run across 11 London Boroughs in the last year, with two thirds of London Boroughs therefore excluded.

While welcoming many of the Mayor’s policies in tackling air pollution this Assembly believes that the Mayor should ensure that the policies adopted by TfL in tackling idling are now far more ambitious and effective.

This Assembly calls on the Mayor to ensure that in relation to TfL’s powers of licensing taxis and private hire vehicles it uses every opportunity to discourage the idling of vehicles, including the use of enforcement powers. This Assembly also calls on the Mayor to actively reduce idling of vehicles by personnel throughout the GLA family, including where appropriate Metropolitan Police Service and Fire Brigade vehicles.

This Assembly finally calls on the Mayor to ensure that TfL adopts an effective public awareness campaign to discourage members of the public to allow their vehicle to idle and create unnecessary pollution for Londoners.