Bring in cars that prevent engine idling

I am happy to note that the National Environment Agency is serious about discouraging idling engines ("More enforcement on idling engines"; last Saturday).

Leaving engines to idle causes both air and noise pollution, and contributes to global warming.

I have noticed that drivers of commercial vehicles generally leave their engines idling because their companies pay the fuel charges.

On a recent trip to London, I rented a car and was surprised to find that the engine switched off automatically whenever I stopped at a red light. When I stepped on the accelerator, the engine restarted automatically.

On checking with the rental firm, I was told this was a standard feature of the vehicle that could be activated optionally, and that it helped to reduce fuel consumption.

Hybrid cars from Toyota and Lexus also have this feature.

Singapore is a small country with numerous traffic lights. Car dealers should be encouraged to bring in vehicles with such a feature. It would help to not only save fuel, but also cut down on pollution and global warming.

Sohindar Mohan Singh

This article was first published on Jan 10, 2015.
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