Town centre branded air pollution hotspot
Burgh street one of three worst areas in Lanarkshire
Rutherglen town centre has been named and shamed as one of South Lanarkshire’s three worst areas for air pollution.
Now, environmental health officers (EHO) are to launch a fresh drive against engine idling after designating the town centre an air quality management zone.
In the coming weeks, EHOs will be out and about in Rutherglen to support the campaign focused on making sure drivers know why they should not keep their engines running while their vehicle is idle.
They will be visiting a range of locations such as sporting complexes, leisure centres and health facilities.
Taxi ranks and shopping areas will also be visited during the campaign to raise awareness about the issue. As well as Rutherglen, the Whirlies roundabout in East Kilbride and Lanark town centre are also being targeted.
The council’s head of fleet and environmental services, Shirley Cleland, said: “We want to ensure that the air our adults and children are breathing whilst taking part in sports and exerting their lungs more is the cleanest it can be.
“Our officers will also be targeting drivers who leave their engines running at health care facilities as we want to minimise the risk of pollution for patients attending these facilities.”
Chair of community and enterprise resources, Councillor John Anderson, hopes the initiative will make drivers stop and think about their actions.
He added: “It is tempting to leave the engine running in colder weather to keep our cars warm or in warmer weather for our air conditioning.
“Sometimes it’s just habit that stops us from turning off our engines. In South Lanarkshire we want to encourage a new habit – switching off.”
Idling a vehicle unnecessarily can be an offence. Should a driver choose to ignore the advice and fail to turn their engine off, they can be issued with a £20 fixed penalty notice.
Sometimes it’s habit. In South Lanarkshire we want to encourage a new habit – switching off