Wales raises engine-idling fines to up to £150 from today

Drivers in Wales who leave their engines running while stationary face much steeper fines from today, as new regulations raise the penalty from £20 to between £75 and £150.

The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 replace the flat £20 fixed penalty, which had been unchanged since 2003, with the new range. Each Welsh local authority must set and publish its own fine level within the £75–£150 band, and penalties not paid in time rise by 50 per cent.

A fine can only be issued after an authorised council officer asks the driver to switch off and the driver refuses, according to the Welsh Government’s guidance. The underlying offence — leaving an engine running while stationary on a public road — is unchanged and matches Highway Code Rule 123.

The Senedd approved the regulations in March, with 37 members voting for and 12 against, following a consultation that drew 101 responses. The Welsh Government says the £20 fine was too low to deter: only a third of people knew idling was an offence, and a council workshop warned that enforcing the lower penalty was not cost-effective.

Targeted enforcement is expected around schools and hospitals. Chief medical officer for Wales Professor Isabel Oliver said: “Every time an engine is switched off rather than left running, we reduce the amount of harmful pollution in the air we all breathe, particularly around schools, hospitals and other places where vulnerable people spend time.”

Sources

• Tackling stationary engine idling — GOV.WALES
• Explanatory Memorandum to the 2026 Regulations — Senedd
• Wales raises idling fines to £150 from today — Brit Brief
• Welsh Government raises engine idling fines from £20 to £150 — Motoring Chronicle
• Motorists in Wales face fines of up to £150 for idling — British Bulletin