Food trucks in Calgary will soon operate under a permanent bylaw.

The trucks were introduced in the city two years ago as a pilot project.

A city committee approved the bylaw on Friday which includes restrictions on where food trucks can park. They cannot park closer than 25 metres to a restaurant so they don't directly compete with the existing establishment.

Mark von Schellwitz with the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, supports the restriction.

"You want to make sure that those people that are in that business and who have invested that capital and in their staff, aren't being negatively impacted by somebody who is operating at a fraction of the cost being able to operate right outside their businesses."

Some of the operators of the current 43 food trucks in Calgary wanted the city to cap the number of trucks allowed, but Ald. John Mar said that will be left to the market to sort out.

"I think the balance is very, very close and it looks like that 50 is probably going to be the right number," said Mar.

The food truck rules will be debated by city council later this month and the committee has agreed to review them in one year.