Drivers facing fumes fines
Tuesday 9th March 2010, 2:14PM GMT.
Motorists who leave their engines running in Shrewsbury could be slapped with fines under a wave of new plans to deal with ever worsening air quality in the town.
Public protection bosses at Shropshire Council are trying to push the measures through in a bid to slash the amount of emissions at several hotspots around the town which are recording higher than permitted levels.
The sites include Shrewsbury town centre, Heathgates island and the village of Bayston Hill. Hotspot sites also include two in Whitburn Street and one in Pound Street, both in Bridgnorth.
Under the plans council staff could be granted powers to issue fixed penalty notices to motorists who are found to be unnecessarily creating more carbon emissions.
Officials say that if the proposals are taken forward they would adopt a “common sense” approach and would not deliberately penalise motorists such as targeting those waiting at traffic lights.
The authority also wants to bring in new emission zones, car sharing schemes and improved park and ride facilities.
And a subsidy could be paid to bus operators in return for more environmentally friendly improvements to their fleets.
A report by Andy Goldsmith, assistant director of public protection at Shropshire Council, says a focus group will be set up to draw up a document that can be put out to public consultation by November this year.
Mr Goldsmith says: “The two primary pollutants that have been monitored in Shropshire are nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. Current data suggests that the main concern is nitrogen dioxide largely associated with traffic emissions.”
Mr Goldsmith said results from the 129 monitoring sites had been studied.
He said: “These indicate an upwards trend in nitrogen dioxide concentration and although the data for 2009 has not yet been corrected, this also indicated a continued upwards trend.”
Members of a unitary council watchdog were due to meet today.
By Russell Roberts
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Would Shropshire Council not be better employed in solving the traffic bottlenecks at these locations rather than taking this farcical approach.
Mind you, if they simply solved the problem it would not create yet another raft of none jobs in this already ridiculous organisation.
Roll on the redundancies!!
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Do people sit at heathgates island with their engines running to admire the scenery and keep warm then?
I THINK NOT!
They are stuck in queueing traffic and guess what? If everyone turned their engines off for 10 seconds then on, then off, the polution would increase AND the congestion would too, as the traffic would be even slower to move.
DO THE PEOPLE IN SHIREHALL KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT REAL LIFE SCENARIOS?
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Please, please, please tell me, we aren’t paying the person who thought that one, up a proper wage.
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“…it would not create yet another raft of none jobs…” What’s that supposed to mean? Think before you write, Cap’n, and your points will be better expressed. I take it that you and your family don’t suffer from asthma, bronchitus, or any other respiratory complaint which might hamper your breathing? Or maybe you live a long way away from these town centre ‘hotspots’ which are suffering the allegedly reduced air quality, and therefore you don’t care about those of us who are more directly affected?
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Can someone please pinch me to prove I am awake.
This is just the sort of silliness that destroys the credibility of the majority of the hard working public servants and gets them all labelled as politically correct idiots.
Shropshire Council – or can we please name individuals – who come up with these schemes need to be publicly shamed into doing the decent thing and resigning from office forthwith.
The whole country is suffering at the hands of these lunatics and it needs to stop – anyone for an uprising and replacing the lunatics with real people??
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I must agree with the other two comments. Solving the traffic congestion certainly would help cut pollution.
I can’t help wonder if cars are still causing pollution from their exhausts. What good are catalystic converters and all the other anti pollution devices on modern vehicles.
Personally I think all this carbon footprints stuff and all the other clap trap on pullution is just a means of politicians and council wannabee’s to make a name and living for themselves.
In the light of millions of tons of methane being emmited into the atmosphere through permafrost in Syberia. I think a couple of cars with their engines running in Shrewsbury is hardly going to affect world pollution
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Alex,
Surely if you suffer from these conditions it would be better to keep moving rather than have further “emissions” released into the supposedly already clogged atmosphere.
Ps: Are you claiming Disability Benefits for your conditions?
PPS: What about the cows?
Seems nobodys complaining about them…
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Can we then fine the CC for badly designed road junctions, road works where we sit for minutes at temp traffic lights waiting for on comming traffic which never appears, because they have no regard to traffic flow.I hope so because I know who will loose out.
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I hate to have to point it out, but if a hobby bobby were to slap me with a “because I say so” ticket whilst sitting in stop start traffic and no time code on their “hobby bobby cam” to substantiate their allegations. Then they are more likely to get a split lip long before the council get a conviction for petrol abuse. The other option is for everyone to go out of their way to obtain one of these tickets. Refuse to pay it and in turn bring the magistrates court to a grinding halt by all turning up at the same time. On a more serious note though, whoever thought this one up really does need to get themselves back on the ward before lights out.
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Another nice little EU directed earner cleverly slipped under the eco wire along with the Great Unclosed Wheelie scam. So where are all these unattended running engines? I’ll tell you..there aren’t any. The only running engines are in cars containing frustrated motorists. What are they going to do? Book entire traffic jams? I have to assume this nonsense will curl up and quietly die when the logistics have been worked through.
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as for heathgates island, the pollution there can be reduced by removing the lights at the junction of mount pleasant road and heathgates bank,create a mini island and allow traffic to turn right outof mount pleasant road.
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Alex
I do think very carefully before I write so let me explain to you, who clearly doesn’t.
None jobs are those jobs created by the council to meet various none needs.
Recent examples are such jobs as the Carbon Reduction officers, the Walking Bus to School officers, the Equality and Diversity officers, the Cycle Shrewsbury officers.
These jobs become a raft because because for every officer you need a manager, and an administrator and an extra PR person – and so it goes on.
These none jobs then justify their continued existance by making daft demands such as a bicycle rack at every new development and so it goes on.
To answer your other question – I am glad to report that my family don’t suffer from the ailments you list but then we don’t smoke, or drink but prefer to spend our leisure time at the gym (private not the rubbish the council provide)rather than the emporiums of lard so many populate!!
I don’t live at any of the hotspots but I do drive through them regularly – or should I say queue through them – sort out the roads and both of us will be happy. I have recently changed my car to a less polluting model – the 4 litre engine has been downgraded to 2.5 litres so I am doing my bit to help you. Still need the 4X4 mind due to the potholes!
I wonder how long it will be before Mr Goldsmith and his team insist that we all wear condoms at all times – and fine us if we are caught without this vital form of public protection?
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Alex,
Captain sensible is right. The council are full of “non job creators” to justify positions for people, who would be normally be seen wandering the building, carrying that same piece of paper that they have been carrying for years now.
Try people who put traffic lights where they aren’t needed, if you want an idea of a non job creator.
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So, will the council pay for my new starter motor and battery onc it dies after the constant engine restarts whilst in traffic.
Probably be cheaper to risk getting a fine than the wear and tear on the car.
Another thought is, don’t you produce more emissions by starting the car than leaving it running?
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Telford,
You are right there, any sensible motorist knows this but obviously, the people who dream these ideas up, have no knowledge of anything, outside beuarocracy!
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OK, so the council rightly tries to tackle the serious issue of poisonous levels of carbon monoxide in the towns roads, the Star put’s it’s own alarmist and extreme interpretation in the newspaper, Capt Senseless rises to the bait and other myopics join in and before you know it we hear about him justifying his immature stance with his generous concession to global warming by changing to a 4 x 4 with a 2500 cc engine. Give me strength!
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So AG Bell, what do you suggest to reduce the carbon monoxide levels at these points? Sensible answers please!
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