The Cape Breton Regional Municipality is considering an idling ban for its fleet of cars and trucks as it looks for ways to cut fuel costs.

It's only a few months into the fiscal year, but the price of gas is already much higher than projected in the budget.

Kevin MacDonald, director of the CBRM's public works department, said staff are looking at a number of measures to reduce costs, from parking "less critical" vehicles to asking drivers to turn off their engines when stopped.

"We may be recommending that we put it in the form of a bylaw with reference to at least our own vehicles," he said Thursday.

Excessive idling wastes a lot of gas, says Natural Resources Canada. The federal department suggests drivers turn off their engines if they're stopped for more than 10 seconds, except in traffic.

The municipality is also looking at replacing some older vehicles with fuel-efficient cars, since they are dropping in price, said Jerry Ryan, chief administrative officer for the CBRM.

"That was a factor in the past that the capital costs made it less advantageous for us to buy new vehicles for people, for our meter readers, as an example," he said.

"We've often reallocated older cars into those areas. We won't be doing that, I don't think, as a matter of new policy, because the capital cost really is substandard to the cost of fuel."

In addition, the municipality is looking for ways to tighten its fuel management system to account for every litre of fuel that's used.

MacDonald said the proposals will be sent to a committee and then to council.

The regulated price of gasoline rose again Friday. A litre in Little Bras d'Or, for example, now sells for $1.451, up about one cent.