London Mayor Proposes 500% Increase in Fines for Unnecessarily Idling Motorists…


God Bless Boris Johnson. He’s the closest thing Jeremy Clarkson has to an arch enemy and their playful banter on Top Gear UK shows that Mr. Johnson is one London Mayor who can dish it out just as well as he can take it. Boris’ latest plan is to increase the fines handed out to drivers who leave their cars and trucks, “idling unnecessary”.
The fine would be increased from £20 (US$33) to £120 (US$195) in London itself and £70 (US$114) around the city’s outskirts. It’s all a ploy to reduce the noise and pollution generated by idling cars, with Mr. Johnson’s office deeming the current £20 fine, introduced in 2002, to be, “too low to be a powerful disincentive”.