Do you still not know how the new anti-pollution regulations will affect you? Read this post to learn everything you need to know about the cars that will not be able to transit in Madrid.
Pollution from both gasoline and diesel vehicles is excessive. Therefore, the relevant organizations are adopting measures to try to reduce it and avoid its short- and long-term effects. The first autonomous community to implement this regulation is the Community of Madrid.
All the autonomous communities together with the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) have implemented a sticker system. These should be stuck to the lower right area of the front windshield. The function of this sticker is to differentiate at a glance the pollution level of each vehicle. The vehicle will receive a specific sticker depending on its year of production, year of registration and emissions.
Let’s start with 100% electric vehicles. This type of vehicle will receive a blue ZERO sticker, since it is a vehicle with zero emissions.
The ECO sticker corresponds to vehicles with some type of fuel and some full hybrid technology or plug-in hybrids. They have been given this name as they are greener vehicles.
Gasoline vehicles manufactured between 2000 and 2006 will receive the B sticker. Diesel cars registered between 2006 and 2014 will also receive this sticker.
Cars with gasoline engines registered after January 2006 will receive the green C sticker. This sticker will also be given to both gasoline and diesel vehicles registered on or after January 2014.
As an exception, any fuel private car with more than 8 seats registered before 2006 will not receive any sticker. Diesel cars registered before 2007 will also not receive any sticker. This is because these vehicles are the greatest polluters.
Only residents’ vehicles will be able to access and transit freely in the centre of Madrid. Residents will still be permitted to park in their neighbourhood as before, including their guests. Residents over 16 years old will have twenty invitations per month to give access to guest vehicles. Guest vehicles can access the centre of Madrid. They are also permitted to park in the SER, for a maximum of 2 hours, or in a parking lot without a time limit. This must be requested previously via the Madrid headquarters website in the section “Residential Priority Areas. Authorisations for access to residents”, or from the @lineamadrid Twitter account.
Private cars and motorcycles with the ZERO and ECO stickers will be able to access Central Madrid.
Vehicles with B or C stickers and which belong to non-residents will only be permitted to access in order to park in a private parking space, reservation or public parking. Access will also be granted to people with reduced mobility, essential services, owners of parking spaces and professionals, although time limits will apply.
The city council along with the DGT has established new regulations with measures to reduce pollution. Depending on the pollution at that time, different regulation scenarios may apply. See below for more information.
Vehicles with the yellow B sticker will be able to transit in all five scenarios, albeit with some restrictions.
Vehicles with a B sticker may transit normally throughout the city, as they will be exempt from any restriction.
Vehicles with B and C stickers will be subject to restrictions in relation to parking in the SER area and on the M-30. They will be able to travel on the M-30, but they will not be able to park in the SER area. However, they will be able to part in public and private parking lots.
Vehicles with no stickers may not transit in the Central Almond, or in the M-30. This restriction also applies to motorcycles and mopeds.
Restrictions for Scenarios 2 and 3 apply to vehicles with B and C stickers.
In Scenario 4, vehicles with a B sticker will no longer be able to transit on the M-30 or inside it. In addition, distinction is made between odd or even number plates, but only inside the M-30.
Only vehicles with ZERO and ECO stickers will be allowed to transit. However, parking in the SER area will be reserved for vehicles with the ZERO sticker.
Scenarios 4 and 5 are, however, precautionary and will be activated when there is a pollution alert, hence the number of restrictions and their severity. Scenario 4 will be activated when pollution levels are exceeded for four consecutive days. This situation has yet to occur in Madrid.
This is a dangerous warning situation. The restrictions that the DGT has activated together with the city council of Madrid have been extreme. Vehicles with B and C stickers may not travel through central Madrid. This measure is necessary to effectively reduce pollution by 64% and it matches the level of alert marked by the European Union. This situation has also never occurred in Madrid.
There will be exceptions for necessary vehicles. For example, vehicles exclusively intended for the movement of people with reduced mobility, or vehicles of essential services (firemen, police, ambulances, etc).
Public transport, bicycles and mopeds are also permitted to transit, as well as the vehicles of professionals whose schedule is not compatible with metro hours of operation and vehicles that offer an essential public service (for example, cleaning companies).
Commercial vehicles are among the exceptions, as well as goods distribution vehicles, towing vehicles and trailers, auto repair vehicles and road assistance vehicles. Vehicles transporting detainees are exempt, as well as funeral vehicles or state vehicles with protection.
Residents may park in the SER areas of their neighbourhood, as well as authorised vehicles such as commercial and industrial ones. Taxis and rental cars are the last vehicles that can transit.
To conclude, we should point out that although this may seem like a drastic measure, it is motivated by an urgent need to protect public health.
Pollution is a recurring theme in all government boards, since there is almost no regulation to keep it under control. We are now beginning to see efforts to regulate it.
These measures aim reduce the number of combustion vehicle and to develop hybrid technologies to improve air quality.
The aim of the sticker system is to exercise greater control over the vehicles that pollute the most.
