Maple Cross Residents’ Association has pleaded with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) and Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) to properly enforce the law when it comes to idling vehicles.
Under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act, leaving your car engine running unnecessarily while the vehicle is stationary on a public road is an offence. If the driver refuses to turn off their engine, this can lead to fines of up to £2,500 for heavy goods vehicles and £1,000 for other types of motor vehicle.
However, a representative for Maple Cross Residents’ Association says that this system is not enforced properly, and that district and county council vehicles are the worst offenders.
The spokesperson said: “The main problem with air pollution round here is council vans, but HCC’s current position is to do nothing.”
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: “We do encourage our drivers, and our contractors, to always turn off their engines whenever possible to reduce the pollution caused by unnecessary idling, but there are often times when the engine needs to be running to provide heating, and to provide power to operate the equipment onboard.”
A spokesperson for TRDC said: “The council encourages all its drivers to switch off their engines, when possible, rather than leaving them running when parked. The council is focused on changing attitudes to idling and is working with councils across Hertfordshire to do more of this in the future.”
Photo Credit: Christopher Hilton
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