Residents need not worry about leaving their idle car running too long.

Council did not pass the anti-idling bylaw last week, opting instead to develop a multi-year public awareness and education campaign to reduce vehicle idling that will focus on high-priority areas including schools and hospitals.

The proposed campaign will be funded by the 2009 Office of the Environment Eco-Outreach program.

Coun. Jane Batty proposed the amendment. Council previously heard from 19 speakers on vehicle idling during a community services meeting the week prior.

“To deal with it today might not do it justice,” Batty said.

“From all the emails we received, and I know we got hundreds and hundreds of them, I got (roughly) 10 emails against a bylaw to one in favour. Through public awareness and education is how you slowly (get) public acceptance.”

Coun. Karen Leibovici says she feels you can’t have the education piece without the bylaw piece.

“I think that the campaign is probably one way to go,” she says. “We (need to) provide timelines for a pro-active anti-idling bylaw because what I’m reading, the education may go on for years.”

Coun. Ron Hayter says he supports Batty’s motion to hold off on enforcing the bylaw and continue with the campaign.

“I don’t believe the bylaw that’s proposed would be one that would be effective and accepted by the public,” he says. “I don’t want to see all these bylaw officers running around with stopwatches to make sure somebody isn’t violating the terms of the bylaw, and having neighbours snitching on neighbours.”

Council also passed a motion made by the mayor for a possible accompanying implementation plan for the bylaw after the campaign ends. A third motion made by Hayter was passed, as well, for the city to review and report on other excessive idling bylaws in other municipalities.

Source: canoe.ca

Posted on 29 January '09, under News.