La Barcelona Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is fully operational again After a nearly two-month hiatus caused by chaos on the Rodalies commuter rail network and mobility problems stemming from the Gelida train accident, the city council has decided to reinstate restrictions on the most polluting vehicles within the city limits, now that normal transport services have resumed.
This return to the usual regime comes after the communication of the The Catalan government has declared that the “exceptional circumstances” have ended. which justified the suspension. From now on, drivers of vehicles without an environmental sticker from the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) who enter the regulated zone will once again face fines, thus restoring one of the main municipal tools against pollution.
A mayoral decree returns the Low Emission Zone to its normal operation
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has signed the decree which reactivates the Low Emission Zone starting Monday, March 16. The mayor's document is based on the Low Emission Ordinance, which allows the system to be suspended or resumed in very specific cases of general interest, as happened after the railway crisis.
La traffic restriction for vehicles without an environmental sticker The restrictions had been lifted on January 22nd, when, following the fatal train accident in Gelida and subsequent disruptions on the Rodalies commuter rail network, the Catalan government requested a relaxation of the limitations to facilitate public mobility. During that period, fines were no longer issued to older vehicles entering the city.
With the situation on the rail network "significantly" improved, the regional government has urged the City Council to restore the ordinary regime of the Low Emission Zone. Following this communication, the council has reactivated the framework provided for in the ordinance and the cameras and control systems are back to normal operation.
The municipal decision returns one of its key instruments for reducing emissions originating from road traffic. Local authorities emphasize that the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is a central component of the strategy to improve air quality and protect public health, especially in a capital city with a high density of vehicles.
Scope and affected municipalities
La Barcelona's Low Emission Zone (ZBE) covers practically the entire municipalityWith some very specific exceptions: the Vallvidrera neighborhood, Tibidabo and Les Planes, as well as the Zona Franca industrial park, are excluded. In the rest of the urban area, the circulation of vehicles without an environmental sticker is once again prohibited during the established hours.
In addition to the capital other municipalities with Low Emission Zones They are reactivating their restrictions again after the hiatus caused by the rail collapse. Municipalities such as Tarragona and Reus They have also announced the return to operation of their restricted areas, while in the Barcelona metropolitan area restrictions remain in place in cities such as l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs and parts of Esplugues and Cornellà.
Taken together, the metropolitan area and several provincial capitals thus recover a homogeneous framework of limitations on the most polluting trafficThis comes after the Catalan government declared the most serious problems with the Rodalies commuter rail network resolved. However, some municipalities are adjusting their schedules based on the specific situation of the rail lines that affect them.
The Barcelona ordinance stipulates that Any exception or suspension of the ZBE must be justified. for reasons of general interest, such as major traffic incidents. That was the argument that allowed the temporary release of access for vehicles without a sticker, and which now, once that exceptional situation has ended, ceases to be in effect.
Who can drive and what penalties apply
With the reactivation, Vehicles without an environmental sticker from the DGT are once again banned from access to the Low Emission Zone during normal hours: Monday to Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 20:00 p.m., in a large part of the metropolitan area affected by the regulations.
Vehicles that do not comply with the regulation are subject to fines from 200 eurosIn episodes of high pollution, the penalty can be increased by around 30%, reinforcing the deterrent nature of the measure at times when air quality is most delicate.
The ordinance provides, however, cases in which circulation is still permittedVehicles intended for transport of people with reduced mobility, emergency and essential services, and certain cars linked to the transport of people with illnesses that seriously hinder the use of public transport.
Authorizations are also being considered for foreign vehicles that can demonstrate compliance with equivalent environmental requirements to those of the DGT's badge system. These exemptions seek to balance environmental protection with guaranteeing accessibility for particularly vulnerable groups or essential services.
The authorities insist that the Low Emission Zone is not just a sanctioning mechanism, but a tool for changing mobility habitsaimed at promoting the use of public transport, walking and cycling, and the gradual renewal of the car fleet towards less polluting vehicles.
Why was the Low Emission Zone suspended and what has changed now
The temporary deactivation of the ZBE occurred on January 22, a few days after the fatal accident On the R4 line in Gelida, a train derailment triggered a widespread mobility crisis in Catalonia. The disruptions to the Rodalies commuter rail network resulted in reduced service frequencies, service interruptions, and significant disruption to daily commutes.
To mitigate the impact of this situation, the Generalitat requested that municipalities with Low Emission Zones They will lift the restrictions on the most polluting traffic on a case-by-case basis.The aim was to offer users an alternative mode of transport while the rail network underwent inspection, repair and safety checks on multiple sections.
During the weeks of greatest impact, the Private vehicles accounted for a large part of the journeys which could not be done by train. According to municipal data, car access to Barcelona increased by around 5% during peak hours, while traffic on the ring roads grew by about 2%. At the same time, the metro registered increases in users of close to 5% daily during peak hours, and in the days immediately following the accident, the increase in fare validations approached 10%.
Once the most critical phase has been overcome, the Generalitat has stated that the Rodalies network has regained significantly more stable operation and that bus services between various municipalities have been reinforced. Given this situation, the authorities believe that maintaining the exceptional circumstances that allowed the suspension of the Low Emission Zones is no longer justified.
At the same time, the Government has pointed out that these areas are “an instrument to guarantee air quality directly linked to health” and has encouraged local councils to reinstate restrictions "to consolidate a more sustainable and healthy mobility model", both in Barcelona and in the other cities that have this type of environmental regulation.
The reactivation of the Low Emission Zone in Barcelona, after the hiatus caused by the Rodalies crisis, represents a return to a framework of control of the most polluting traffic which had already established itself in recent years as a benchmark in southern Europe. With the end of the exceptional circumstances, the city council and the Catalan government are fully resuming a mobility and public health policy that seeks to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and move towards a less car-dependent urban model in the Catalan capital and its metropolitan area.
