“Low Emission Zones (ZBE) in Spain: Which Cities Have Them and What You Need to Know”

Since the beginning of the year, towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants are required to implement a Low Emission Zone (ZBE). Vehicles without the right to an environmental label may not access these areas, that is, vehicles registered before January 1, 2001 if they are gasoline; and prior to 2006 if they are diesel. They are considered the most polluting vehicles. Although most cities are still pending the application of this environmental law, many already fine vehicles that do not meet the conditions.

Accessing the ZBE with a polluting vehicle supposes a fine amounting to 200 euros. It is not the only sanction existing in the regulations. There are cities, not all of them because it is regulated by municipal ordinance, which also fine owners who do not carry a DGT environmental label on their vehicles. It is the case of Madrid, Seville or Gijonalthough in the latter the ordinance has been cautiously suspended.

Although for now the application of the law is being very slow, the list of cities with ZBE will increase in the coming months, which will focus on those where the measure already works normally. To Madrid and Barcelona, ​​Pamplona, ​​Seville and Pontevedra are added. Also other towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants such as L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí and Badalona. And its entry into force is imminent in Córdoba, Fuenlabrada, Burgos, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Parla, Algeciras, Alcobendas, Melilla, Talavera de la Reina, Coslada or Ciudad Real

Madrid has one of the most restrictive LEZs. If the vehicle does not carry the DGT label or is not registered in the capital, it cannot circulate on the M-30, one of the main access arteries. However, Barcelona is more flexible. Its Low Emission Zones only work from Monday to Friday.

In Pamplona, ​​the LEZs include Taconera, Navas de Tolosa, Paseo de Sarasate, Duque de Ahumada street, Juan de Labrit street, Vergel street and Santo Domingo street. Its access requirements are similar to Madrid: neighbors and non-polluting vehicles. More restrictive is Seville, which directly requires the DGT environmental sticker to access the areas of Cartuja Norte and Cartuja Sur. And the most singular case is that of Pontevedra, which has declared the entire city as a “reduced traffic area”. In the Galician town hall they have been working for years to reduce traffic and are pioneers in many measures, such as limiting the speed to 30 per hour.

But in addition to those mentioned, there are other cities where the Low Emission Zones should be active this Easter, although many have not yet applied them. This is the list of towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Spain:

The localities that will have ZBE

Andalusia: Alcalá de Guadaira, Algeciras, Almería, Benalmádena, Cádiz, Chiclana de la Frontera, Córdoba, Dos Hermanas, El Ejido, El Puerto de Santa María, Estepona, Fuengirola, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Jerez de la Frontera, La Línea de la Concepción, Linares, Málaga, Marbella, Mijas, Motril, Roquetas de Mar, San Fernando, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Seville, Torremolinos, Utrera and Vélez Málaga.

Aragon: Huesca and Zaragoza.

Asturias: Avilés, Gijón, Oviedo and Siero.

Cantabria: Santander and Torrelavega.

Castile and Leon: Ávila, Burgos, León, Palencia, Ponferrada, Salamanca, Segovia, Valladolid and Zamora.

Castilla la Mancha: Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Talavera de la Reina and Toledo.

Catalonia: Badalona, ​​Barcelona, ​​Castelldefels, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Cornellà de Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, Lleida, Manresa, Mataró, Molet del Vallès, Reus, Rubí, Sabadell, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Santa Coloma de Gramanet , Tarragona, Terrasa, Viladecans and Vilanova i la Geltrú.

Madrid’s community: Alcalá de Henares, Alcobendas, Alcorcón, Aranjuez, Arganda del Rey, Boadilla del Monte, Collado Villalba, Colmenar Viejo, Coslada, Fuenlabrada, Getafe, Leganés, Madrid, Majadahonda, Móstoles, Parla, Pinto, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Rivas Vaciamadrid, Las Rozas, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Torrejón de Ardoz and Valdemoro.

Valencian Community: Alicante, Alcoy, Benidorm, Castellón de la Plana, Elche, Elda, Gandía, Orihuela, Paterna, Sagunto, San Vicente del Raspeig, Torrent, Torrevieja, Valencia and Villareal.

Estremadura: Badajoz, Caceres and Merida.

Galicia: A Coruña, Ferrol, Lugo, Ourense, Pontevedra, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo.

Balearic Islands: Calvià, Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca.

Canary Islands: Arona, Arrecife, Grandilla de Abona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santa Lucía de Tirajana and Telde.

The Rioja: Logrono.

Region of Murcia: Cartagena, Lorca, Molina de Segura and Murcia.

Navarra: Pamplona.

Basque Country: Baracaldo, Bilbao, Getxo, Irún, San Sebastián and Vitoria.

The autonomous cities of Ceuta and melilla.