Anti idling

Anti idling

From 1 March 2023, Perth & Kinross Council will begin enforcement against excessive vehicle idling, with the aim of reducing vehicle emissions which adversely affect the environment and public health.

Perth & Kinross Council Parking Attendants will carry out this enforcement in addition to their current duties and will now have the power to issue fixed penalty notices of £20 to offenders who refuse to switch off their engines when requested.

Enforcement will be delivered following the "Four E's" approach:

Engage

Officers will first engage with the offender and ask them to switch off their engine.

Explain

They will then explain the risks of idling emissions to public health, air quality and climate change.

Encourage

Officers will then encourage compliance with the regulations and once again ask that the engine be switched off.

Enforce

Only if these three steps are unsuccessful in making the offender turn off their engine will the Officer be forced to enforce and issue a £20 fixed penalty notice.

Payment and appeal process

If you have been issued with a fixed penalty notice, payments can be made by phoning 0345 603 0121, 24 hours per day 7 days per week for debit and credit card payments.

You should make sure that Perth & Kinross Council receives payment of the fixed penalty of £20 within 28 days of the date of issue shown on the notice.

If you wish to make a request for an independent hearing in respect of the offence to which this notice refers, you must do so in writing to Regulatory Services, Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street, Perth, PH1 5GD or at EH@pkc.gov.uk and ensure that it is received within 28 days of the date of issue of this notice. Your notification should include the reference number at the top of this notice.

If you make such a request for a hearing, you should not send any payment. The hearing will determine whether the offence has been committed and if so what the penalty should be. Entering into correspondence, other than requesting a hearing, does not remove your liability to pay the fixed penalty in full by the due date.

Where a hearing has not been requested, failure to make sure that the £20 payment is received within 28 days of the date of issue of the notice, will result in the fixed penalty amount automatically increasing to £40. No reminder will be issued.

Failure to pay an increased fixed penalty within 56 days of the date of issue of the notice will result in enforcement action to recover the debt.

Frequently asked questions

Will I automatically be given a £20 fine if I am caught idling?

No, enforcement will be delivered following the "Four E's" approach. Issuing a fixed penalty notice will be necessary only if the offender refuses to turn off their engine when asked.

Can I report excessive vehicle idling on public roads?

Anyone being affected by excessive vehicle idling on public roads can report this by emailing EH@pkc.gov.uk.

There are circumstances where vehicles are permitted to be stationary with the engine running. These circumstances include:

Where a vehicle is stationary `owing to the necessities of traffic' - e.g., when vehicles are queuing at traffic lights.
Where an engine is being run so that a defect can be traced and rectified - e.g., when a stationary vehicle is being attended to by a breakdown / recovery agent.
Where machinery on a vehicle requires the engine to be running - e.g., where the engine powers refrigeration equipment or the compaction equipment in a refuse vehicle.

Will I be fined for idling at traffic lights, waiting at junctions or when stationary in traffic?

No, the anti-idling legislation does not apply to vehicles which are "stationary owing to the necessities of traffic", for example at traffic lights.

Am I allowed to leave my engine on when defrosting the car?

Yes, this is a reasonable reason to have your engine running when stationary. We would always recommend defrosting your windscreen fully and making sure you can see clearly before setting off.

Can I use my engine to keep warm while parked?

Within reason. If you expect to be waiting any longer than a few minutes in your car, you should turn your engine off. Similar rules apply for hot weather conditions when using air conditioning. Extended idling may be allowed where a vulnerable or elderly person is in the car.

How does idling affect people's health?

Harmful pollutants produced by car engines have been linked to a large number of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions such as lung cancer, stroke, heart disease and asthma.

Perth & Kinross Council is legally required to keep concentrations of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) and Particulate Matter (PM₁₀/PM_2.5) at or below national objectives set by Scottish Government to protect public health. Vehicles are the largest source of these pollutants within the Perth & Kinross Council area.

An idling vehicle can emit more than 20 times the exhaust emissions as one travelling at 30mph, therefore it is important to minimise excessive idling wherever possible to reduce pollution levels in our local authority area.

Isn't it more effective to keep your engine running that it is to turn off and on again?

No, in most cases this is less efficient. If you are stationary for more than 10 seconds, turning off your engine and restarting it when required uses less fuel than leaving your engine running.