Taichung 2nd to ban vehicle engine idling

Southern Taiwan’s Tainan city was the first city in Taiwan to adopt such a measure when it put its anti-idling policy into effect on Jan. 1, 2008.

Under Tainan’s policy, motorists of cars and other vehicles, including motorcycles, must turn off their engine when they stop for more than three minutes, otherwise the drivers will be fined NT$500 to NT$2,000.

Taichung City’s policy will be similar, but the fines will be much higher.

If a driver in Taichung does not turn off his engine when he has stopped for three minutes or longer, he will be fined NT$5,000 to NT$10,000, according to a Taichung City Environmental Protection Bureau official who declined to be named.

Under the first stage of Taichung’s program, which will begin in July 2008, only vehicles involved in for-profit business will be required to follow the rule, but by the second stage of the program which will begin in October, all vehicles will have to comply with the regulation.

The bureau began trying to raise public awareness about the new policy in April and up to now, it has heard no complaints from the public, said the official to CNA reporter in a phone interview.

While authorities in local governments make efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission by banning engine idling, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has no plan to ban vehicle idling nationwide, said on the phone Hsiao Hui-chuan, director of the EPA’s air quality protection and noise control section.

“The EPA’s actual objective is to enhance education for people,” Hsiao said, adding that it is possible to integrate the anti-idling policy into national law in the future if the two cities’ pilot measures prove successful.

In Tainan, where the policy has been implemented for more than four months, no violations have been recorded so far, said an official from the city’s environmental protection bureau, who declined to be named.

“Even though some people complain that the three-minute time limit is too short, and that in the summer it is too hot to stay in a car without turning on the air conditioner, more than 90 percent of the citizens understand and support the policy, “ said the official on the phone.

When asked why the bureau set the time limit to three minutes, she said the bureau took into consideration policies in other countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and the United States, adding that the time limit in Taiwan is reasonable.

According to the Tainan bureau, a vehicle emits more air pollutants when idling than running, and the CO2 emission of 100 idling vehicles equals to that of 10,000 running ones.

To encourage people to follow the regulation, the Tainan bureau also noted that they can save about 640 liters of gasoline per year by reducing 30 minutes of idling per day. That is about NT$18,000 per year saved and 1.4 tons of CO2 emission reduced, the bureau said.

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