Lai See | Time to idle Hong Kong's idling-engine 'enforcement'

When the figures for penalty tickets issued in 2012-2013 for idling engines were announced, champagne corks must have been popping at the Environmental Protection Department, at least in the enforcement section. For there was not just one ticket issued, nor two, but a whopping seven tickets, for a whole year, issued to drivers who kept their engines running for more than three minutes in a 60-minute period.

This law will surely go down as the biggest waste of legislative time ever, firstly in getting it through the Legislative Council, and then even more time is wasted in getting people to "enforce" it, if that is what it can laughingly be called.

One of our readers is infuriated on a daily basis by vehicles that wait in the parking bay below his apartment with their engines running, sending fumes wafting into his apartment should he open the windows or venture out on to his balcony. His letter to the chief executive's office with suggestions on how to deal with the problem was answered by the EPD, which blandly states that traffic wardens and environmental protection inspectors are empowered to issue fixed-penalty tickets.

Then, with astonishing gall, the official writes, "Traffic wardens will enforce the idling engine ban during patrol. In addition, the Environmental Protection Department will co-ordinate enforcement-cum-publicity activities at idling engine black spots."

We all know nothing could be further from the truth, as the figures show. Out of 1,204 drivers who were timed, only those seven were issued with a HK$320 ticket. The EPD seems to think that a combination of education, through the distribution of leaflets and "enforcement" will encourage motorists to develop the green driving habit. In much the same way, we assume, that signs and enforcement have discouraged illegal parking.