Brighton motorists to be fined for leaving vehicles running

From January 2, drivers should turn off their engines while in a parking bay, taxi rank and other parts of the road or face a £40 fine.

Brighton and Hove City Council said an idling engine can produce up to twice as many exhaust emissions as an engine in motion.

The crackdown will not apply to stationary vehicles sitting in traffic.

Drivers will face a £40 fine for leaving engines on while in a parking area

Councillor Tim Rowkins, chairman of the city environment, South Downs and the sea committee, said: “Improving the city’s air quality is extremely important, especially for those who suffer from long-term respiratory conditions like asthma and lung disease.

 “Enforcing engine idling is something we hope will deter motorists from releasing harmful emissions unnecessarily. We’re asking those parked to switch off their engines and reduce air pollution.”

It was agreed at a meeting of the committee in June that the council could begin issuing the fines to drivers for engine idling.

This is to help improve the city’s air quality, help those suffering from long-term health conditions such as asthma and help towards the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The council has put up additional signage around the city. The fine is reduced to £20 if paid within ten days.

What happens if you are spotted by an officer?

If an environmental enforcement officer witnesses a car idling, they will speak to the driver to let them know they are committing an offence.

They will take the driver's details, including their registration number, and issue them with a fixed penalty notice (FPN).

If the driver refuses to give their details or drives off, the council will contact Sussex Police to collect the details and the FPN will be sent in the post.

The council is also introducing red routes to the city to tackle antisocial parking and to keep traffic moving.

The routes, along Lewes Road and London Road, will use CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition cameras to scan number plates to fine motorists who park on sections of the road.