An American citizen dubbed Streeter, resident in New York, decided to leave his profession in the marketing sector to report drivers who keep the vehicle engine on while they are parked. The case happened in the United States, where, under the municipal legislation in force since 2017, this type of environmental infraction can be reported by any citizen, who, according to the 20minutos newspaper, is entitled to a percentage of the fine. Streeter transformed this model of complaint into main activity and raises about $ 100,000 (about 80,000 euros) per year, higher than the previous employment income.
The law in question was promoted by George Pakenham, a former banker who started this campaign after losing his brother, a lung cancer victim. Since the entry into force of the legislation, it is estimated that more than $ 70 million have been collected in my own. This American regulation prohibits trucks and buses remain with the engine in operation for more than three minutes while they are stopped, except in extreme or emergency climacteric conditions.
Environmental Law with Economic Return
Streeter’s case has gained public attention because it represents a logic inversion: instead of being the state to oversee, it is the citizen who watches, documents and sends formal reports, with photographic proof or video. As a compensation, it receives up to 25% of the amount of the fine imposed. According to the same source, this model has encouraged dozens of other Americans to follow the example, in a combination of environmental activism and complementary performance.
In the videos shared on social networks, you can see the American citizen to circulate around the city with the mobile phone in hand, recording images of vehicles with the engine connected and without a present driver. Some of these images generate negative reactions from drivers, but the law protects complainants whenever they have valid evidence of the infraction.
And in Portugal, is there similar legislation?
Portugal also has legislation on the use of the engine idle, but of almost null practical application. Article 80 of the Road Code states that “the driver must turn off the engine whenever immobilized for a prolonged period, except in cases where it is justified.” However, there is no clear definition of “prolonged period” or any direct complaint system that allows citizens to report this type of infraction with financial benefits.
In practice, it is only possible to sanction this behavior if an agent of the authority witnesses the fact and concludes that there was disrespect for environmental or security rules. Compared to the New York system, Portuguese legislation proves little effective in overseeing these types of infractions, either due to the absence of technological instruments that allow direct registration by third parties, or for the difficulty in proving the exact duration of the engine time on.
Environmental measures gain international weight
In recent years, several cities around the world have adopted more restrictive measures to combat urban pollution, namely by prohibiting the use of the engine in idle and the incentive for non -motorized transportation, according to the newspaper. Cities such as London, Amsterdam and Paris already apply fines for similar infractions, and results in terms of air quality have been pointed out by environmental studies as significant.
In the case of New York, the participatory approach where citizens are encouraged to actively collaborate on supervision, represents an alternative way to apply public policies with environmental impact. Through the conjugation between regulation, economic incentive and population involvement, the municipality has managed not only to reduce emissions, but also mobilize residents around a common cause.
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