Warnings for 14 motorists who let engines idle

Warnings for 14 motorists who let engines idle

SWITCH off your engine once you have parked your car. That is the message the National Environment Agency (NEA) wants to get out to the public.

In a three-hour enforcement exercise in Ang Mo Kio on Wednesday, it issued warning letters to 14 motorists who had left their vehicle engines idling while stationary.

The NEA also distributed pamphlets and anti-idling car decals to 236 motorists. This was part of the exercise to promote compliance with anti-idling regulations, which NEA officers had found many motorists to be unaware of.

Those who left their engines on included workers loading or unloading goods, taxi drivers waiting for customers, parents waiting for school-going children, or drivers simply taking a break in their vehicles.

Under Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) regulations, it is an offence to leave the engine of a motor vehicle running when it is stationary for reasons other than traffic conditions.

Those breaching the law can be fined up to $5,000. In a statement, the NEA urged drivers to switch off their engines after parking for the sake of better air quality and public health.

"In the last three years, NEA has taken action on over 8,000 cases of idling engines and these comprise issuance of advisories, warning letters and fines to errant drivers," it said.

linettel@sph.com.sg


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