PROPOSALS being considered in Poole to target people who idle their cars outside schools could be extended to Bournemouth and Christchurch.

Later this month, councillors will look at plans which could see enforcement officers given extra training to enable them to hand out fines to drivers who refuse to switch off their engines.

It is hoped that, together with ‘a light touch publicity and behavioural change campaign’, the work would reduce noise and air pollution caused by parents leaving their cars running while collecting their children.

First raised at December’s meeting of Poole council’s place scrutiny committee, proposals to restrict parking in certain areas near to schools have also been considered.

The issue will next be considered at the January 10 meeting of its transportation advisory group with a report saying that, as well as the health benefits to the wider population, drivers will gain through reducing their petrol costs by switching off their engines.

It recommends that councillors agree to progress the work by giving their backing to the scheme to the cabinet member for transport, Cllr Ian Potter.

School travel road safety advisor Nick Ellis says: “If the proposal is supported, a light touch publicity and behavioural change campaign could potentially be undertaken to bring about behavioural change to those motorists that currently sit waiting for passengers with their engines running.

“A pilot scheme could be undertaken at identified schools within the vicinity of areas in which it has been identified that air quality is in need of improvement.

“Whilst the main focus of the campaign would be on the benefits of behavioural change, it could also be used to inform the public that the council has powers to issue fixed penalty notices.”

The report adds that, should councillors support the campaign, it will be raised with transport officers at Bournemouth and Poole councils for 'input and consideration'.

The council has tens of thousands of pounds left over from a £50,000 government grant awarded to improve air quality in the borough which it intends to use on any anti-idling campaign.

At last month’s scrutiny meeting, councillors were generally supportive of stepping-up anti-idling work, although Cllr Andy Hadley said that it needed to be “far more ambitious” by encouraging people to use alternative transport options.