What is really known (and what is not) about what will happen to cars with B label in Spain, the ZBE and their restrictions

All municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants in Spain should already have a low broadcast area. We say that “they should” because it is what is established in the Law 7/2021, of May 20, on Climate Change and Energy Transitiona rule that is overlooking in many cases.

So much so that the Ministry for Energy Transition and Demographic Challenge It has a map where it collects all the cities that have a Active Zbe At the moment. According to the data collected in it, just a third of the cities that in 2023 should already have an active space of low emissions, currently apply some type of restriction.

In total, 151 cities in Spain They should have launched some type of standard to improve air quality and reduce the volume of traffic but two years after it was mandatory to apply the standard, Only 51 cities have some restriction active of this type.

These restrictions, however, do not have to be the same in each city, so it is interesting to go to the map if you plan to go by car to a city that applies a zbe in its city or part of it.

This is the current situation and how it affects cars with stickers B.

Restrictions that do not apply in the same way

When the new standard was written, it was noted that cities of more than 50,000 inhabitants would have to implement a low emissions zone to improve air quality. But at no time was a homogenized protocol for Spain.

This was something that cities complained. The government’s proposal is that Each city had to take action to improve air quality in one way or another and, in fact, published a document where it was explained what kind of measures could be taken and why each city could decide which path to undertake.

In that document it was explained that a low emissions area could cover a complete city (Barcelonafor example), apply radial restrictions from less hard inside (Madrid) or, simply, impose low emissions areas in very specific places with the aim of preserving some especially interesting areas such as schools, hospitals or parks (Seville).

In the drafting of the norm, possible sanctions were not established if the obligation was breached and not put on clear objectives of improvement in air quality. You simply talk about that, improve current data.

This has led to the consistories rarely want to wet their hands, aware of the image damage that can cause hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of cars of circulation. Hence, cities like Seville barely apply their low emissions zone in very specific spaces (In this case the island of La Cartuja) or in a few streets in the city center (Saragossa). Or what Madrid will back their own rules Just a few days before starting to fine.

In other cities, such as Fuenlabradarestrictions are especially lax. For example, here a vehicle without distinctive cannot use the area of ​​low emissions (of a few streets) as a crossing but can access its interior to buy or do any other message. It is only required that the vehicle be at least eight and a half minutes inside so as not to be fined.

And we have the case of Segovia that only applies the restrictions to its historic center (the walled enclosure) but, nevertheless, it will punish cars with DGT label, a especially particular case.

Is there anything new with the DGT sticatin B?

We could say no. It’s a “Run Run” that has been playing since 2023 And he has returned. In recent days, articles and mentions of social networks have been generalized in which cars with Environmental Bad B of the DGT (Gasoline after 2000 and prior to 2006 and diesel after 2006 and prior to 2014) will be expelled from the cities or will suffer severe restrictions.

At the moment, the only city that is fine for the use of a car with sticatin B in a space of low emissions zone is Segovia. He does, as we said, in his old town, in what is known as Walled enclosure. This space cannot enter cars without an environmental distinctive of the DGT or those with stickers B.

For the rest, there is nothing active right now and great changes are not expected in the coming years. For example, in Madrid there are active restrictions on the B sticker but it only forces to park the car in an underground parking in the known as low -protection center emissions area, which was known as Central Madrid.

The rest are projects that should begin to be applied in the coming years. The most ambitious is that of Catalonia. The Generalitat approved its summer its Air Quality Plan Horizon 2027. It establishes that, from January 1, 2028cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Catalonia must impose circulatory restrictions on vehicles with a environmental label B of the DGT.

That is, in Barcelona and the rest of the cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, they should impose some type of restriction on these cars (there is no talk of prohibition, yes, so they can be temporary restrictions such as those that now applies the Barcelona Metropolitan Area to cars without DGT label).

In addition, exceptions are established for socio -economic reasons and two entries per month to the restricted area for non -residents and up to 52 days a year for residents. It is also specified that these standards will be applied to all the municipalities of More than 20,000 inhabitants As of January 1, 2030.

The other big city that has a similar project is Bilbao. The low broadcast area is at this time very small, just two square kilometers, and only applies from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. whenever it is working day. Two types of restrictions have been established:

• Residents who had the car with stickers B of the registered DGT before June 15, 2024 in the city, can continue to circulate in this area until December 31, 2029. It will not be until January 1, 2030 when its circulation is prohibited.
• Non -residents or those who have the registered car outside the city, can continue accessing the interior of it if they have DGT B stickers but will have to park it in a public parking lot. It is the same model as in Madrid.
• You can not access with a car with environmental distinctive B if you are not a resident, you do not have a garage square or the car is not parked in a public parking lot

In summary, if we talk about circulatory restrictions to the DGT sticker, only Segovia and in a very small space will sanction this year due to its circulation. In Madrid or Bilbao there are no reasons to receive a sanction if the rules that force the car in a public parking lot are complied with. In Catalonia, the restrictions will arrive from 2028 and 2030 depending on the size of the city.

Photo | Miquel Migg and DGT

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