Palma City Council will not impose fines for the Low Emission Zone (ZBE) for the whole of 2025 according to the councillor for Mobility, Antonio Deudero today. “We are calling on the City Council to comply’ (with the obligation to have the ZBE in place by 1 January 2025), Deudero stressed, also conveying ‘a point of reassurance’ for citizens: We will not take any decision that will lead to the collapse of the city’s day-to-day life”.
From 1 January, vehicles with an environmental label A or without a sticker will not be allowed to circulate in the ZBE (from the ring of avenues towards the centre, as far as the sea). The council had initially reported that there would be a three-month moratorium, but has finally decided to extend it to the whole year in order to carry out “an information campaign” so that citizens are clear about the rules.
“It is a very important change and we must inform people properly,2 said the councillor. Thus, in 2025 there will be no fines and the City Council will limit itself to sending informative notifications to offenders. In addition, this grace period will also allow the administration to test the camera system and software.
Deudero stressed that approximately 70 percent of the ZBE are ACIRE zones which already had restricted circulation, and that it is estimated that the fleet affected by the ban this first year represents “4 percent of the fleet that travels every day in Palma”.
The ordinance also provides for various exceptions, such as resident vehicles, goods transport and other cases.
Meanwhile, the city is already preparing for the entry into force of the ZBE, placing the vertical signage (for the moment, blinded) and cameras at the entry points of the perimeter. The PP approved the ordinance alone in November, as it is a divisive issue with Vox, which voted against it. The PSOE’s abstention allowed it to go ahead.
However, Bulletin readers have mixed reactions.
Some have commented online: “I’m all for public transport etc, but do you realise how many low income citizens live within the boundary you mention and need to travel to work outside of it on a daily basis ? And they are precisely the ones who a) can’t afford the luxury to buy a car that covers these demands and b) if they could, where do they charge them at night ? California will be the place to watch, IF it can produce enough power to cover the demand. Big if.”
Another wrote: “Yes, these new rules come at a significant cost to residents, we will be forced to buy new vehicles sometime in the next 4-5 years - I would be ready to accept the new rules in the old town where many of us live - but they must also apply the exact same rules to our dirty neighbour, the cruise terminals and stop them from belching their toxic dirty diesel fumes 24hrs per day whilst moored in our harbour to power their generators. The fumes from the marine bunker oil these ships burn is the most polluting and toxic of all - because bunker fuel is the least refined of the oil based fuels.”
“Thanks so much to the Bulletin for this article, it has been so difficult to find information about the new Low Emission Zone, let alone on how to obtain the necessary sticker. Have just managed to obtain mine, no thanks to the Dirección General de Tráfico which has little or no info on their website. Instead, one has to apply through the post office website, at the following address (for info in English) : www.correos.es/es/en/individuals/para-el-ciudadano/dgt-services/environmental-quality-seal
You have to attach a copy of the vehicle registration certificate and vehicle owner’s ID, and pay 5€ by credit/debit card plus 2.99€ for postage, and it should arrive at your address within a couple of weeks.”
“This really makes no sense. A 5km2 low emission area that is fully surrounded by areas with no restrictions - how much difference is this going to make? The historic center has relatively few vehicles circulating anyway, the bulk of the pollution is created in the rest of the city. The dirty air from the rest of Palma will simply drift into the center. If they really want to make a meaningful impact on the air we all breathe then they must apply these rules to the whole of Palma.”
“So, as an old person. with an old car that I imported to Mallorca in 2001 does this mean that I can’t drive into Palma from now on?”