************************************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) reminds drivers that starting from Sunday (January 15), law enforcement staff will issue a Penalty Notice to drivers breaching the idling engine prohibition and no prior verbal warnings will be given.
The Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Ordinance, which aims to reduce environmental nuisance caused by idling engines, stipulates that drivers are prohibited from leaving their vehicle engines idling for more than three minutes in any 60-minute period. A Penalty Notice will be issued to drivers contravening the prohibition and they will be liable to a fine of $320. The Ordinance took effect on December 15, 2011.
In the first month of its implementation, law enforcement staff gave drivers verbal advice first and issued a Penalty Notice only if the driver did not heed the warning. About 460 verbal warnings were given in the first month and all drivers co-operated in following the advice. In fact, we noted that most of the drivers abided by the law by switching off their engines.
Staff of the EPD will continue to distribute leaflets to enhance motorists' awareness of the implementation of the Ordinance.
Both enforcement action against breaches and extensive publicity and education programmes will continue throughout Hong Kong with the aim of improving roadside air quality and reducing environmental nuisance.
For more details of the Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Ordinance, please visit the website of the EPD (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/prob_solutions/idling_prohibition.html), call the enquiry hotline 2838 3111 or email idlingenq@epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, January 13, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:41
NNNN
