Signage at one of the entrances to Barcelona’s low emission zone, in an image from archive.efe
Three weeks after announcing its intention not to introduce the Low Emission Zone (ZBE), the Badalona City Council has found the formula not to immediately fine the most polluting vehicles (those that do not have a DGT label) and at the same time from the government are not approved or have to repay the 2.5 million euros in next-generation funds intended for implementation. Mayor Xavier García Albiol (PP), who governs with an absolute majority, will submit to the plenary session at the end of the month the adoption of an additional provision that will repeal the regulation that regulates the operation of the ZBE and at the same time undertakes to start drafting a new one project commissioned by the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona (AMB). Albiol assures that the regulation was adopted in the last mandate without studies on mobility, pollution or economic impact, which could lead to objections from sanctioned drivers.
The Council’s idea is to implement the restriction on the most polluting vehicles gradually: by district and by vehicle type. The Council ensures that the chosen formula is approved by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Ministry sources respond that there are “no formal” discussions with the council and that they should in any case see the details of the proposal before commenting. When Albiol announced in mid-September its intention to freeze the ZBE and not impose a fine on it for three years, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, warned him that it could be taken to court and would have to repay the European funds earmarked for its implementation the restriction. Cities that have put discounts on their ZBE on the table include Gijón, Valladolid, Castellón, Lorca and Málaga, all governed by the PP.
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“We know that we have to do our part in the fight against climate change and we want to apply the ZBE, but we want to do it well.” The regulation is poorly made, lacks the necessary documentation for an option that covers 90% of the territory of Badalona and 95% of its population punished. We intend to do this with technical guarantees and to apply it gradually, informing residents of its effects,” defends the mayor of Badalona. According to the brochures that the city council printed (but hardly distributed, the current government team points out, in which stacks of boxes can be seen), the ZBE of Badalona came into force in March 2023 throughout the city (with the exception of three districts above the B-20). ). The brochure did not differentiate between vehicles and warned that from January 1, 2024, fines would begin on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To ensure compliance, the city council has already installed 36 cameras with license plate readers. The aim of the restriction was to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by 15% and CO2 emissions by 6%.
Implementation on cars and motorcycles began in Barcelona; six months later on vans and light trucks; then larger tonnage trucks… to put an end to vehicles like coaches. In Badalona only two groups were planned: cars and motorcycles, which will be fined from January 2024; and the rest (from vans to coaches) from June 2024. As in Barcelona, it provided for exceptions for emergency vehicles or authorizations for sporadic access of vehicles for individual activities or vulnerable groups (moving, filming, visits), to the doctor, to the container ship, to low-income families or self-employed people shortly before retirement).
Albiol has always estimated the impact at 40% of the fleet in circulation, but in reality half of the vehicles originally affected, around 20,000 (20% of passenger cars alone), are affected. The difference is that, based on a calculation by the manufacturers’ association ANFAC, the mayor also counted those with a yellow label that were not allowed to circulate during episodes of high pollution, something that has never happened since 2020, according to the ZBE premiered in Barcelona. In the Catalan capital, ten associations of transport companies and drivers appealed against the ZBE and the Supreme Court of Catalonia (TSJC) rejected it, considering the restrictions “excessive” and “disproportionate”. However, it remains in force as the city council appealed to the Supreme Court.
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With an absolute majority in favor of approving the suspension of the current regulation and the development of a new project, Albiol is confident that the ZBE will be at full capacity between 2026 and 2027. “Our commitment to these measures must be obvious in order to control pollution without penalizing To.” I hope that at this time the government will take measures to encourage those who cannot change their car immediately to get help to preserve it,” explains the mayor. Regarding the ministry’s reaction, he assures: “It was aware of our proposal and was clear that it could not withdraw Next Generation funds from us because we did not refuse to apply the ZBE.” “We are taking a step back to take two steps forward, step by step,” he says. And he explains that he will also commission a mobility study from the RACC.
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