Don't leave the engine on

Motorists get a message: Don't leave the engine on 
More complaints, but few fined for infringing this little-known law 
By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent 

THE number of complaints against motorists who leave the engines of stationary vehicles running has been rising. 

Last year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received more than 2,700 complaints from the public, up from about 1,600 in 2008 and just over 1,000 in 2007. In the first seven months of this year, it received more than 1,300 complaints, most of which are from people in residential estates and passers-by, annoyed by the noise and fumes. 

But even as the number of complaints goes up, just a handful of motorists have been taken to task. Only four have been fined $70 each since last year, and about 600 issued warning letters. 

The NEA, which could not provide infringement figures for earlier years, has enforced the law with a light touch because it understands that motorists want to keep their engines - and air-conditioners - running in this hot and humid climate. 

As part of an 'education' process, however, it has issued 'advisories' to some 6,400 motorists who have been reported by the public in the last three years. Discussion threads in online motoring forums indicate that not many drivers know it is illegal to leave their vehicle engines running while stationary, say, when they are waiting for someone to turn up. 

Going by the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations, which date back to 1999, the only time it is all right to do so is when a vehicle is in traffic. The law provides for offenders to be charged in court and dealt fines of up to $2,000 for first-time infringements and $5,000 for repeat cases. 

'Leaving an engine running while stationary is inconsiderate,' an NEA spokesman said, as it creates unnecessary noise and air pollution. 

Observers say more can be done. 

Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw described switching off the engine while waiting as 'a minor inconvenience', hot and humid as it is here.'We don't have 40-degree temperatures, and we have plenty of shade,' he said. 'It's a matter of winding down the windows or getting out of the car.' (getting out of car? also can fine for unattended vehicle) 

Idling engines are a problem when taxis wait in line for passengers, like at the airport, or when coaches wait by the roadside while tourists shop, he noted. 'They contribute significantly to CO2 emissions,' he said. 

Retiree Lee Chiu San, 64, said: 'If I'm alone in the car, I wind down the windows and kill the engine as a matter of principle. 'But with passengers, there can be serious disagreement.' 

'I think it is a great law that now needs to be enforced here, CO2 emissions being the biggest reason, of course.' 

Meanwhile, European car manufacturers from Fiat to BMW are incorporating stop-start mechanisms in their cars. These cut off the engine when the car comes to a stop at the lights, and restart it when the accelerator is depressed. 

The technology is beginning to appear in cars imported into Singapore. Volkswagen's Polo BlueMotion 1.2TDI is one such model. 

But the issue of leaving engines running even when the motorist is not in traffic remains. Some cabbies here have two sets of ignition keys - one to keep the engine and air-conditioning running and the other to lock the vehicle with while they have their breaks. 

Cabby Tony Pang, 60, said: 'This is so passengers don't complain of the heat. 

'It used to be a common practice, but not so now, since diesel is so expensive. But I know some older drivers still do it. It's a matter of choice.'

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