City checks to hit polluting vehicles
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by Karen Miles • Smoking trucks will be hit by tough new emissions policing due to begin by the end of the year in four English cities.
A new-generation of local authority roadside emission checks will focus on vehicles failing to meet annual test emission standards.
Lorry drivers in central London. Bristol, Canterbury and Teeside are likely to be stopped by police and tested by local authority staff.
From next summer—when the Government is expected to bring in regulations to allow councils to fund their activities by levying fixed-penalty fines on polluting vehicles—local councils will be able to implement their own schemes. Councils will also be able to fine drivers who leave their engines idling by the roadside.
However, plans for general vehicle checks, including tachograph scrutiny, have been dropped.
Last year's Environment Act allows local authorities to become involved in smoke testing and draft regulations being drawn up by the Department of Transport will go to consultation next month.
The Freight Transport Association supports the smoke tests, provided local authority staff are trained to be able to test lorries accurately.