One Kamloops councillor is asking residents to stop idling their vehicles for unreasonable amounts of time.

Kathy Sinclair says the city updated its Good Neighbour Bylaw in 2018, which stipulates drivers can’t idle their vehicles for more than three minutes within city limits. The bylaw was created in 2007 but only applied to commercial vehicles until the change made three years ago.

“That, I think, was one of the first changes we made to that bylaw, when I first came on 2017-2018. And now we’re three years later and I’m still seeing people idling their vehicles. In extremely mild weather, I might add.”

Sinclair says it will take “positive peer pressure” for people to change their habits, comparing to it changes like wearing seatbelts and not smoking indoors.

“So let’s stop idling our vehicles and consider our neighbours, our air quality and our (greenhouse gas emissions).”

People can be fined $100 dollars for idling their vehicles for more than three minutes.

There are some exemptions for “reasonable situations,” including for emergency vehicles and vehicles treating pesticides and for vehicles sitting in traffic or having mechanical difficulties.

Kamloops city staff say two-thirds of local greenhouse gas emissions come from vehicles.