On May 1, the notice period for the Low Emissions Zone (ZBE) of Madrid ended. This means that all cars that enter the limited area without being able to do so will be fined. There are many doubts that this new situation generates among drivers; To avoid confusion, in this practical we will tell you which cars can enter, which ones cannot, and what fines they face.
In compliance with the provisions of the Climate Change Law, Madrid has created two ZBEs for the time being, one in the downtown district and the other in Plaza Elíptica. The rule approved by the Government will be of national application and establishes that from 2023 all municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants will have to have restricted traffic areas in operation based on polluting emissions.
The Madrid City Council is ahead of national law and already has two ZBEs that share some of the restrictions, but not all…
Low Emissions Zones (ZBE) could have new restrictions in the coming months
Which cars can enter and which cannot?
The objective of the ZBE is to keep the most polluting vehicles out of the limited areas. These are the so-called A vehicles, that is, those that do not have an environmental label from the DGT (gasoline registered before 2000 and diesel registered before 2006). The ban will be enabled gradually following this schedule set by the Madrid City Council:
- From January 1, 2022, its access and circulation on urban public roads inside the M-30 is prohibited, excluding the M-30 itself.
- From January 1, 2023, its access and circulation on the M-30 is prohibited.
- From January 1, 2024, its access and circulation on all urban public roads in the municipality of Madrid is prohibited.
- From January 1, 2025, the 2024 ban also extends to passenger cars A (without a label) domiciled in Madrid and that are registered in the IVTM register of the Madrid City Council. From this date, vehicles A that are not passenger cars (trucks, vans, motorcycles and mopeds) and that until December 31, 2024 had no restrictions will not be able to access or circulate through the capital.
📢 We remind you that Madrid Low Emissions Zone has been in force since January 1, restricting access to the interior of the M-30 to some vehicles. ➡ Those destined for urban distribution of goods are exempt until January 1, 2025. 👉🏼 https://t.co/FlomxfBQQM pic.twitter.com/cUvCsWLcOf
– Madrid City Council (@MADRID) January 3, 2022
In accordance with this, in the ZBE of Madrid, the access of vehicles A is not allowed (except for the exceptions that we review below); Yes, vehicles with labels B, C, ECO and Zero Emissions can enter. However, depending on the label and the ZBE, they have to comply with certain regulations.
- Vehicles with labels B and C have free access and circulation in the ZBE of Plaza Elíptica, but in the central district, if they access the limited area, they must go directly to an underground car park.
- Vehicles with an ECO label have free access and circulation in both ZBEs, but in the central district they can only park in the ORA zone for two hours.
- Vehicles with a Zero Emissions label have free access and circulation in both ZBEs; they have no parking limit in ORA zones where, in addition, they can park for free
The approved exceptions allow vehicles without a label to continue circulating inside the ZBE if they are registered in the area, those intended for urban distribution of goods or those used for the transport of people with disabilities.
Finally, vehicles recognized as historic (so-called classic cars) and, of course, emergency vehicles (firefighting) and armed forces may also enter the Madrid ZBE.
Fines of 200 euros
Until the approval of the new Traffic Law, the penalty for entering the Low Emission Zones irregularly was 90 euros; the legislation in force since March 21 establishes that those drivers who do not respect the rules of the ZBE will be sanctioned with fines of 200 euros.
