Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
On November 30, after a year in which the long-awaited Low Emission Zone of Malaga (LEZ) operated solely as an educational tool, it will be switched to a “sanctioned” mode. Vehicles that do not meet the environmental standards required will be fined.
Malaga Council acknowledged with resignation that, “the educational approach in the last year achieved very little” to change drivers’ habits.
The system is now fully operational.
More than 3,000 people have been accommodated in the former Tabacalera Building. 130 cameras The 437-hectare area that includes the historical centre, Soho and La Malagueta will be monitored in real time by smart traffic lights. Only vehicles without an environmental tag and not registered in Malaga City will be banned from entering. To soften the blow, several exemptions were introduced. Deliveries vans, as an example, will be given a grace period of four years to adapt. Vehicles with B and C environmental labels—the two most common categories— will continue to have access.
Council urge public to study alternatives or face potential €200
The council is urging people Consider alternatives to driving, such as public transit, non-motorised transport or car sharing. The fine for breaching the restriction will be €200. The aim of the measure is to duplicate successes in other European cities where pollution particles were reduced by up to 23%. Malaga hopes that air quality in the city will improve. However, convincing drivers to park their cars at home is a challenging task. If you plan to drive to Malaga for the Christmas lights then make sure your car is compliant before you go. Otherwise, it could cost you a lot of money.
Malaga’s LEZ does not represent an isolated case. Cordoba, Jaen and other cities are preparing their own zones restricted to comply with the law. EU directive This continues to be a hot topic of debate. Associations of retailers and motoring groups in all of these cities expressed concern over the impact on the economy and the lack real transport alternatives for citizens.
