Kelowna’s anti-idling bylaw now in effect

Drivers, turn off your cars. 

The City of Kelowna is no longer allowing vehicles to idle for longer than a minute within city boundaries.

Effective July 25, Kelowna is joining 30 other B.C. municipalities with similar regulations, according to a city press release.

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The new bylaw does not apply to vehicles stuck in traffic and there are other exceptions. Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions within Kelowna, according to the city.

"Vehicle emissions also directly contribute harmful emissions into the city’s air supply. Idling control is an action to reduce GHG emissions and improve air quality from the transportation sector. Reducing unnecessary idling is identified as a recommended action in Kelowna’s Community Climate Action Plan and the Central Okanagan Clean Air Strategy," according to the city.

While this program will embrace education-first principles, repeat offenders may incur fines up to $150 for each idling infraction, which is delivered through a complaint-based system much like the majority of the city’s bylaws.

A six-month grace period and educational campaign will be the focus until January 2022.

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