Mayo County Council launch new ‘No-Idling’ campaign

Mayo County Council is leading the way in promoting cleaner, greener travel options with a range of new and ongoing initiatives aimed at helping to improve the environment.  A new ‘No-Idling’ campaign has been launched by Mayo County Council’s Action Office which appeals to people dropping their children off to not leave the car engine idle. 

Engine idling is any time your car engine is running, but you’re not moving, usually for more than ten-20 seconds, for example waiting outside school, or at a red light. Leaving the car without moving is wasteful and harmful, with ten seconds of idling using more fuel and producing more emissions than restarting the engine. 

Transport was responsible for 21.4 percent of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. By adopting eco-driving habits, drivers can reduce their carbon footprint, save money, and improve road safety.

Top Eco-Driving Tips include:

• Combine short trips into one journey. Starting your engine from cold uses far more fuel.
• Keep tyres properly inflated
• Use air conditioning wisely based on speed
• Even small changes can add up. For example, cutting just 3 minutes of idling a day could save 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually across Ireland.

Alongside the ‘No-Idling’ campaign, Mayo County Council is a Smarter Travel Workplace and promotes national initiatives including Bike Week, European Mobility Week and Walktober. The Smarter Travel Workplace works with Irish employees to facilitate travel choice in favour of more sustainable transport options. In 2019, Mayo County Council also extended its Greenway Network and secured new funding to complete the Clew Bay Greenway. This will provide 80km of greenways in Mayo, the largest network in Ireland.