To clean up the air in the borough, Ealing Council is taking action against unnecessary vehicle idling by issuing drivers with penalty fines.
You can already see signage at the borough’s boundaries, schools, and other locations, reminding drivers to turn their engines off whenever they can.
Taking action for cleaner air
The council will start enforcement on 2 October 2023. This means that £80 fines, the maximum allowed by law, can be issued for running a vehicle engine while not in motion.
Why is idling harmful?
Air pollution is a huge risk to the public, with around 160 people dying prematurely because of it in the borough every year.
It is also cheaper to switch off your engine – idling can cost up to 3p per minute in fuel. If a vehicle idled for 10 minutes per day, within 6 months that would have cost more than £58. Stopping and then restarting your engine creates less pollution than idling for a minute.
Councillor Peter Mason said: “Leaving car engines running unnecessarily pollutes the air we all breathe, adds to the climate crisis and causes asthma and other lung and heart conditions in both children and adults.
“Air pollution in our borough is avoidable and all it takes is switching off your engine when your car isn’t moving whenever you can. It makes a huge difference to the air quality.”
Councillor Deirdre Costigan added: “We are ramping up fines for unnecessary idling to the maximum, and introducing anti-idling enforcement from next month across all of Ealing’s seven towns.
“We will continue working with residents, businesses and schools to raise awareness of the health and climate impacts of leaving vehicle engines running, so we can all enjoy cleaner air, longer life and a more sustainable planet.”
Take action around schools
The council has been working with local schools such as Hambrough Primary School to tackle unnecessary engine idling.
Share idling messages with your school communities with Idling Action London’s school-specific Engine Off Every Stop pack.
Join the cleaner air movement
Say no to unnecessary idling and yes to clean air by switching off your engine whenever possible. Join in the movement on social media by using #Noidling and #EnginesOffEveryStop.
