Bid to fine drivers for idling engines

Council considers measures to cut Perthshire pollution

Drivers stuck in traffic could be fined for sitting with their engines running on one of Perthshire’s most polluted streets. Council bosses are considering a ban on “idling” vehicles on Crieff High Street. It is part of an extensive package of measures proposed to tackle long-standing air pollution problems. The busy town centre thoroughfare, described as a “canyon” with tall buildings on either side, tends to get clogged with traffic, causing high emissions. Business leaders say diesel buses are the worst offenders – sometimes stopped with engines running for up to 15 minutes. If implemented, the new rules could impact on waiting cars, as well as vehicles stuck in traffic queues.

Drivers could be prosecuted for letting their engines run at a Tayside pollution hotspot. Perth and Kinross Council is considering issuing fines to “idling” motorists on Crieff High Street. It is part of a package of measures proposed to combat long-standing air pollution problems in the busy town centre. An Air Quality Action Plan, which will go before councillors next week, proposes a study of traffic flow, a parking shake-up and new traffic control systems. Gating or holding traffic outside of the High Street “canyon”, as well as limiting or prioritising traffic turning right into the thoroughfare, will also be considered. It is further proposed “antiidling enforcement” could be introduced, which if approved would be among the first of its kind in Scotland. In her report, council officer Kirsty Steven suggests: “Perth and Kinross Council will consider the adoption of powers to undertake enforcement through Traffic Regulation Orders to compel drivers to switch off idling engines. “Fixed penalty notices could be issued to drivers who refuse to co-operate.” Scottish road traffic regulations enable councils to apply to the government to tackle problems with engine fumes running “unnecessarily”. Earlier this summer, Inverclyde Council asked the Scottish Government to introduce such measures. Graham Donaldson, who chairs the Crieff Success BID board, had mixed feelings about the proposal. “I’m not sure how effective this would be,” he said. “Most modern cars these days automatically cut off when they come to a stop. What would really make a difference is if they found a way to move the buses off High Street, maybe down into the square. “They are sitting out there idling constantly. They definitely appear to be the worst offenders and worst polluters. “The buses we get out here are full diesel as well, we don’t get the hybrid vehicles you see in Perth.” In her report to go before the council’s environment and infrastructure committee, Ms Steven explains the problem, writing: “High Street, which runs through the centre of Crieff, is a narrow street with tall buildings either side of the road. “This has resulted in a canyon effect which prevents air pollutants from dispersing. The narrow road often becomes congested, particularly at peaks times throughout the day.”

Air pollution is a long-standing problem in Crieff High Street.