PILOT schemes introducing on-the-spot £60 fines for dirty vehicles have been launched in Westminster and Glasgow. They are among seven local authorities given the power to trial such schemes, using roadside tests to ensure that vehicles meet MoT emissions standards.

Fixed penalty fines of £20 have also been introduced for drivers who keep their engines running unnecessarily when they have been asked to switch them off, rising to £40 if they fail to pay within 28 days. Trials have already started in Birmingham, and are due to begin soon in Canterbury, Bristol, Middlesbrough and Swansea.