From May 2nd onward, all cars driving in the Centre of Madrid abording the zone of higher polution risk will be fined. Click to learn more...
By Patricia Francesch.
For more than four years, the Madrid City Council has been creating projects with the aim of being sustainable with pollution in the city, especially in the areas that suffer it most, which include the Central District and Plaza Elíptica.
The first manage that was carried out was in 2018 with the mayor at that time, Manuela Carmena. It was the draft of the Sustainable Mobility Ordinance, which as soon as it came into force, on October 5th of that year, a series of measures were implemented to reduce until a 40% the polluting emissions of Madrid and create a friendly environment, for both the inhabitants of the capital and the millions of visitors that the city welcomes each year.
The main protocol that this idea was intended to implement was based on environmental sticks provided by the Traffic General Direction. In order to them, environmentally friendly vehicles were favoured and those that were not so environmentally friendly were discriminated against.
These stickers restricted vehicles from passing through or parking, depending on the area. As for the Central District of Madrid, was undoubtedly a very affected polluted area so the measures were more rigorous. The Madrid Central zone was then established, which restricted from passing to all those vehicles that didn’t have the environmental sticker; that is to say, the most polluting ones. Except for the residents of the area, those who have a previously justified access or some others with different situations that were also excused.
The area covered by the Madrid Central plan was limited from the northern part of the streets Alberto Aguilera, Carranza, Sagasta and Génova to Colón. From there to the Plaza del Emeprador Carlos V along Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo del Prado. The lower perimeter was marked by the Atocha, Valencia, Toledo and Segovia roads, returning to Argüelles through Bailén, Mayor, Princesa and Serrano Jover streets. Passing also through Plaza de España, surrounding an area of more than 470 hectares.
To ensure rigorous and systematic control of compliance with these conditions for these vehicles, the City Council set up a system of control cameras with automatic capability of plate recognition.
With the change of government in 2019, the City Council passed to Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida. Who started again a project of solidarity with the city’s environment in 2021. The new sustainability ordinance proposed by the new mayor included and shared many parts of the initial Madrid Central project.
The project was renamed to Madrid 360 and although it covers the same area and has practically the same limitations, it does have some modifications. Since the new ordinance came into force, the whole city has been declared a Low Emission Zone to improve the environmental situation in the 21 districts. Over the years, new modifications will be applied and adapted progressively. As it is estimated, from the beginning of these added measures on January 1, 2022, until 2025. Concerning the Centre of Madrid, this program has taken into consideration its higher pollution risk. For this reason, two areas of the city’s areas have been declared Special Protection Low Emission Zones (SPLEZ). These are the areas of Madrid Distrito Centro and Plaza Elíptica, since pollution problems are more pronounced.
In general terms, the LEZ (Low Emissions Zone) of Madrid is intended to provide protection to all citizens of Madrid and to the people who enjoy the city, according to the limit values of nitrogen dioxide established in the community and national regulations. On the other hand, it also consists of the management of the permanent traffic that defines the public roads of the city, therefore the access and circulation of all vehicles with the environmental classification A is prohibited.
For their part, the Low Emission Special Protection Zone (LESPZ), as are areas that have higher environmental pollution problems, they have considered that they require stricter measures to protect health and the environment, and thus improve air quality. In addition, as in the rest of the city, to prevent motorized traffic.
Regarding the latter, access is prohibited for vehicles with environmental classification A, without environmental sticker. Vehicles with environmental sticker B and C, can only pass through these zones to cross them or to park in a parking lot for public or private use, in addition to several exceptions that contemplate residents, companies, self-employed, people with reduced mobility, public services, student transport and other groups.
Until now, the Madrid Council had established a ‘warning period’ in Madrid Low Emission Special Protection Zones, so that cars could get used to the change. Those who violated the rule received a warning as a reminder of the infraction but, so far, without a fine. Since May 2, the Government has made citizens know that this trial period is coming to an end. From now on, all cars driving in the centre of Madrid, including the mentioned zone, will be fined.
This first measure of strict compliance is already the first step towards the definitive farewell to vehicles without a sticker in the city, which will culminate in 2025 with the absolute bet for all vehicles without a sticker.
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