California Agency Approves Vehicle Idling Limit

Sacramento, Calif. — The California Air Resources Board voted on Friday to ban "heavy diesel trucks and buses … from idling more than five minutes as part of the latest effort to clean up the nation’s dirtiest air," according to The Associated Press (AP). The rule applies to roughly 409,000 vehicles, including Greyhound buses, transit buses, food delivery trucks and garbage collection trucks, according to news reports. The regulation will take effect in six months pending a review by the state’s Office of Administrative Law, the AP says.

Exceptions include allowing buses to idle for up to 10 minutes so that heating or air conditioning systems can keep running to keep passengers comfortable and allowing trucks with sleeper berths to idle during federally mandated rest periods, according to the AP.