This Saturday, April 4 It arrives marked by a key element for thousands of drivers: the possibility of environmental contingency and the impact on the Hoy No Circula programAlthough the air quality is not exactly good, the authorities are maintaining the usual traffic schedule for now.
In the midst of the period of EasterWhen holiday travel and daily activity are combined, many wonder if there are any options available today. Double No Circulation Today or whether pollution restrictions have been tightened. The answer, for now, is clear: there is no active contingency phase, but the Saturday program is being implemented as normal, with significant penalties for those who do not comply.
Is there an environmental emergency today, April 4th?
According to the most recent reports of the Air and Health Index, The air quality in the Valley of Mexico It remains in unfavorable ranges, mainly due to the presence of ozoneIt is a pollutant that typically spikes during the middle of the day. Even so, the situation has not reached the thresholds established to declare a contingency phase.
La Megalopolis Environmental Commission (CAMe) and Ministry of the Environment (Sedema) They have decided to maintain the program's normal operation for now, so Phase I of Environmental Contingency has not been declared and therefore the reinforced restrictions scheme has not been activated either.
It should be noted that the environmental contingency due to ozone or particulate matter A pollution alert is only declared when pollution levels exceed the limits set by regulations. Once these levels are exceeded, additional measures are implemented to reduce motor traffic and emissions, starting with the most polluting vehicles.
Although There is no contingency todayEnvironmental authorities emphasize that the situation could change throughout the day if pollutant concentrations increase. Therefore, it is recommended to frequently check official channels before heading out, especially during the midday and evening rush hours.
Does the Double No Driving Day program apply today, April 4th?
The main question many drivers have is whether this Saturday of Glory comes into force on Double No Circulation TodayThe scheme significantly tightens restrictions on car use when air quality is poor. The official response is that The Double No Driving Day program has not been activated today, April 4th..
This means that the program operates in its normal Saturday mode, without license plate extensions, holograms, or affected schedules. The usual restrictions remain in place between 5:00 a.m. and 22:00 p.m., with the focus on the most polluting vehicles with holograms and on cars without proper verification.
When it is declared environmental contingency Due to ozone pollution, the Double No Driving Today program extends the restrictions to a greater number of license plates. In these scenarios, including some vehicles with hologram 0 They may be limited, and in very severe cases the restrictions may also apply to some cars with a 00 hologram.
In the absence of that scenario, the institutional message is clear: Today the normal scheme applies.But with a call to reduce car use whenever possible, especially in metropolitan areas with higher levels of accumulated pollution.
What are the program's hours today?
This April 4, the No Circulation Today It is applied, as usual, on Saturdays. from 5:00 p.m. to 22:00 a.m.Within that area, cars subject to restrictions cannot circulate in the zones covered by the program.
Outside of those hours, circulation is permitted for all vehicles, unless an extraordinary notice is issued by the environmental authorities. In the event of a environmental contingencyThe schedules and conditions could be modified, something that would be communicated through official portals and institutional networks.
It should be remembered that The program is in effect 365 days a year, from Monday to Saturday.with different rules depending on the day of the week. There are no restrictions on Sundays under the "Hoy No Circula" program, unless an exceptional circumstance arises as determined by the authorities.
For vehicles with foreign or foreign license plates without a hologramThe schedule is stricter: during the week they have additional restricted hours and on Saturdays they cannot circulate, something that becomes especially relevant during holiday periods with a high influx of visitors.
Which vehicles are not allowed on the roads today, April 4th?
Since there is no contingency in effect, the scheme that applies this Saturday is the usual SaturdayBecause it is the first Saturday of the monthThe restrictions focus on a very specific group of vehicles, defined by their hologram and the last digit of their license plate.
In Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Mexico (ZMVM)as well as in the Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Toluca (ZMVT) and Metropolitan Area of ​​Santiago Tianguistenco (ZMST), Vehicles that cannot circulate today, April 4, from 5:00 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. are the following:
- Cars with hologram 1 Cuya license plate ends in an odd number1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. These vehicles stop on the first and third Saturday of each month.
- Vehicles with hologram 2, without exception, that are prohibited from circulating every Saturday of the year in the areas where the program is in effect.
- Cars with foreign or foreign license plates without a verification hologram, which are equivalent to a hologram 2 for the purposes of the restrictions.
For drivers who have new vehicles but without current verificationThe recommendation is not to drive during restricted hours or to process a Tourist Pass when applicable, as otherwise they may receive a fine and, in some cases, the immobilization of the vehicle.
In the case of vehicles from other states such as the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos, Puebla or Tlaxcala, when they have approved and current verification The same rules apply to them as to cars registered in Mexico City, always according to their hologram and license plate ending.
Which vehicles can circulate normally
In contrast to the restricted cars, a wide group of vehicles They can circulate without limitation through the programexcept in the event of a severe environmental emergency. Today, under the usual system, the following vehicles are permitted to circulate:
- Vehicles with hologram 0 and 00, regardless of the color of the sticker or the last digit of the license plate, as long as they keep their verification up to date.
- Electric and hybrid cars, considered less polluting due to their lower direct emissions of gases and particles.
- Motorcycles, which are outside the scope of the Hoy No Circula restriction on today's day.
- Public passenger transport and essential service vehicles, which have specific exemptions to ensure basic mobility.
Although these vehicles They are exempt from the programAuthorities also recommend reducing unnecessary travel, especially during the hours of the day with the highest concentration of ozone, when solar radiation and temperature favor the formation of this pollutant.
In a scenario of Double No Driving Today due to contingencySome of these exemptions could be adjusted and the restrictions extended even to some vehicles with a "0" hologram, hence the importance of frequently checking official announcements.
Areas where the "Hoy No Circula" program is in effect today, April 4th
The program focuses on the main metropolitan areas in the center of the country, where the vehicle concentration and topography They promote the accumulation of pollutants. This Saturday, April 4, air quality restrictions affect the following areas:
First, the Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Mexico, what includes the 16 boroughs of Mexico City y 18 conurbated municipalities of the State of Mexico, which include Atizapán de Zaragoza, Coacalco de Berriozábal, Cuautitlán, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Chalco, Chicoloapan, Chimalhuacán, Ecatepec de Morelos, Huixquilucan, Ixtapaluca, La Paz, Naucalpan de Juárez, Nezahualcóyotl, Nicolás Romero, Tecámac, Tlalnepantla de Baz, Tultitlán and Valle de Chalco.
Also, from the January 1, 2026 the scheme was extended to the Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Toluca (ZMVT), which includes municipalities such as Toluca, Almoloya de Juárez, Calimaya, Chapultepec, Lerma, Metepec, Mexicaltzingo, Ocoyoacac, Otzolotepec, Rayón, San Antonio la Isla, San Mateo Atenco, Temoaya, Tenango del Valle, Xonacatlán and Zinacantepec.
This list is further expanded to include Metropolitan Area of ​​Santiago Tianguistenco (ZMST)which includes six additional municipalities: Almoloya del RÃo, Atizapán, Capulhuac, Texcalyacac, Tianguistenco, and Xalatlaco. The same hologram system, schedules, and penalties apply in all these areas.
In practice, this means that Vehicles entering any of these zonesEven if they come from other regions or from abroad, they must respect the same traffic rules if they do not want to face a financial penalty or have their vehicle impounded.
How the program works in relation to the environmental contingency
El No Circulation Today It is a tool designed for reduce pollutants generated by cars and motorcycles in very dense urban areas. It functions as a kind of "turntable" for traffic: under normal conditions it limits the circulation of the most polluting vehicles, and in episodes of poor air quality it can be tightened to include more license plates.
The restrictions depend on three basic factorsThe color of the sticker, the last digit of the license plate, and the type of verification hologram determine which days and times each vehicle can circulate within the regulated zone.
When the CAMe declares an environmental emergencyA package of preventative and corrective measures is activated. Among them is the Double No-Drive Day program, which expands the number of license plates affected per day and can restrict the use of vehicles that would normally be exempt, such as those with a "0" emissions sticker.
In the case of foreign vehicles and vehicles with foreign license platesIf they do not have an approved verification hologram, a stricter regime applies to them: they do not circulate on any Saturday within the program's hours and, from Monday to Friday, they have additional time slots in which they also cannot move.
Today, with the absence of declared contingencyThe program maintains its basic structure. However, the threshold for activating additional measures is relatively close due to poor air quality, so more severe measures cannot be ruled out if ozone levels continue to rise.
Fines and consequences for not respecting the restrictions
ignore the No Circulation Today This is no small matter. Drivers who drive when they are not permitted to do so expose themselves to... fines ranging from 20 to 30 Units of Measurement and Update (UMA), according to current regulations.
Taking the current value of the UMA as a reference, the penalty can range approximately from 2,346 to more than 3,519 Mexican pesosDepending on the severity of the infraction as determined by the authorities, the vehicle may also be impounded.
These fines are applied in the Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Mexico and in the areas where the program is officially in effect. It doesn't matter if the car is registered in another state or abroad: if a violation is detected within the regulated zone, the owner will have to face the consequences.
It is important to keep in mind that, in the event of Environmental contingency and Double No Driving TodayThe margin for error is reduced even further. Any driver who fails to check for updates and drives their vehicle when they shouldn't may encounter an environmental enforcement operation and a substantial fine.
Therefore, the authorities recommend checking the advisories before any major journey, especially on weekends like this one, in the midst of the pandemic. Easter, when it is common for both traffic and pollution levels associated with the intensive use of private vehicles to increase.
Recommendations for drivers in the event of a possible emergency
Although today a environmental contingencyThe fact that air quality is classified as poor at several monitoring stations necessitates heightened precautions. It is possible that the situation could change during the day and stricter measures may be adopted.
Among the most frequently repeated recommendations by the authorities, the following stands out: reduce the use of private cars Whenever possible, opt for public transport, carpooling or reorganizing journeys to avoid the hours of greatest solar radiation, when the ozone level usually increases.
People with respiratory problems, children and the elderly Limit outdoor activities when monitoring stations register high levels, especially in the most congested areas of the metropolitan area.
To find out if the vehicle can be driven, it is key to check the color of the sticker, the last digit of the license plate and the hologramWith this data, and by consulting the official websites of CAMe or Sedema, you can check if there are additional restrictions due to the contingency.
On a day like today, April 4th, with EasterWith delicate air quality and a Saturday program underway, the key is to combine the obligation to respect traffic regulations with the individual responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of each journey as much as possible.
The situation on April 4th paints a clear picture: There is no active environmental contingency or Double No Driving DayHowever, the program operates in its usual manner, restricting the circulation of vehicles with hologram 2, hologram 1 vehicles with odd-numbered license plates, and most cars with out-of-state plates. Those with hologram 0 or 00, as well as electric and hybrid vehicles and passenger transport, can move about normally, although they are still advised to moderate car use given the unhealthy air quality and the possibility of stricter measures if pollution levels rise during the day.
