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Drivers who keep engines idling too long face penalties

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is planning to fine motorists and motorcyclists a minimum of NT$5,000 (US$150) for not turning off their engines when making temporary stops of more than three minutes, an EPA official said yesterday.

Chuang Hsun-cheng (莊訓城), a section chief of the EPA's Department of Air Quality Protection and Noise Control, said a study had shown that if the motorists and motorcyclists fail to turn off their engines when making temporary stops for an accumulated 30 minutes per day, they would spend an additional NT$18,000 on gasoline and produce more than 1 tonne of carbon dioxide per year.

In a bid to cut gasoline consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, the EPA is planning to launch a campaign on July 1 to advise motorists and motorcyclists to turn off their engines when making temporary stops, Chuang said.

Starting from Jan. 1, if motorists and motorcyclists fail to turn off their engines when they stop for more than three minutes, they will face a fine of between NT$5,000 and NT$100,000.

He said that Japan and several European countries had similar rules in place.

Several scenic spots in the cities of Taipei, Taichung and Tainan, as well as Taoyuan, Taichung, Ilan and Hualien counties, have also implemented the measure on a trial basis but have yet to begin imposing fines, he added.

The EPA will invite the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and local environmental protection officials later the same day to exchange views on the measure, to be followed by presentations and public hearings.

"There is already a public consensus that greenhouse gas emissions should be cut," Chuang said.

He said the new measure should not pose too big a problem for motorists, noting that the proposal by the EPA excludes specific situations, such as traffic jams, and certain types of vehicles, such as fire engines, ambulances and vehicles used in live television broadcasts.

Also see story:
Taipei air pollution alarming: scientists

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