• AT last Camden Council is following through in fining drivers who let their engine idle from March 5 this year. But it does not go far enough.

I have been running a successful local resident campaign in Gospel Oak/ Belsize for the past 18 months providing free leaflets to residents to offer to inconsiderate drivers they come across in their neighbourhood (http://theairwebreathe.uk).

It works because residents care and take direct action. Since Camden Council has outsourced the majority of services, its ability to listen and respond directly to residents’ ideas like this one has been eroded by further layers of mismanagement.

Why don’t Camden have all their NSL parking enforcement officers issue these fines and information leaflets: not just their environmental enforcement officers? The problem needs to be tackled across the borough continuously, not in hotspots.

This is why the “Idling Action” initiative is a waste of time and money. If a leaflet is issued it should be a warning and the registration taken so that we can track the problem and hotspots.

It is important that information about the problem is collected as part of the parking enforcement service otherwise the trial will have no measure of success.

STEPHEN CAMERON
Independents for The Movement
Parkhill Road, NW3