Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to impose limits on the amount of time an engine can be left running if a vehicle is stationary in traffic.

Regulation 98 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 already makes it an offence to leave an engine running unnecessarily if a vehicle is stationary, with an exception when this is “owing to the necessities of traffic”.

The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002, sets out how these offences should be enforced and guidance is provided to Local Authorities on the practicalities of enforcement. This guidance is currently being updated and the Department is planning to send this out to Local Authorities in the coming months.