Drivers have slammed a new rule meaning they could be fined for leaving their engine running while parked as “anti-motorist”.

The measure, brought in by Brighton and Hove City Council on January 2, means motorists must now turn off their engine while in a parking bay, taxi rank and other parts of the road or they could face a £40 fine.

The council disputes claims the scheme is anti-motorist and said it is instead an anti-pollution measure.

Brighton and Hove City Council added that 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.

Peter Lambert, from Brighton, slammed the new rule.

He said: “Once again, the council is having a go at motorists. It costs fortunes to park, if you can find a space, now being fined for keeping your engine running, unbelievable.”

Others raised concerns about circumstances where leaving an engine on might be unavoidable, including when de-icing a car, or in a health emergency.

The highway code states that “windscreens and windows must be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision” and some drivers raised concerns about how they might start their cars on frosty mornings and allow heaters to demist their windows.

Brighton and Hove City Council has since confirmed that drivers will not be fined in this instance.

A council spokesman said: “Before anything else, our enforcement team asks drivers with idling engines to switch the engine off. We only fine people who refuse to do so.

“There are also a number of scenarios where we would not issue fines.”

These include:

  • To a vehicle de-misting their windscreen
  • To elderly people or those who are vulnerable and need the engine to be on for heating or cooling purposes
  • To a vehicle who requires the engine of their vehicle running for refrigeration purposes
  • To a vehicle broken down and awaiting recovery services or when the engine is needed to be switched on for diagnostic purposes
  • To emergency service vehicles

The chairman of the city council’s transport and sustainability committee, Councillor Trevor Muten, 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 up to switch off their engines and reduce air pollution.

“This is not about being anti-motorist. It’s about being anti-pollution.

“It is simply about reminding motorists to be considerate of their environment and to do their bit for other people – particularly children, the elderly and the vulnerable.”