Marbella City Council has begun installing signage for the Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which was provisionally approved in October 2023 and is currently limited to the historic centres of Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara.
The selection of the new signage took place in November when the municipal government presented its proposal for a signage model to the Local Government Board, and the chosen model is similar to the one being implemented by the City Council of Málaga. The City Council is taking the first steps to establish the low emissions zone in the historic centres of Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara in response to European regulations. This was announced by the municipal spokesperson, Félix Romero (pictured below).
The city is thus progressing towards a more de-carbonised environment, in accordance with European regulations and the Royal Decree regulating LEZs approved by the Council of Ministers on December 27, 2022. The establishment of LEZs is stipulated in the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, which requires municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to adopt sustainable urban mobility plans “before 2023” or upon their completion.
To achieve this, the Marbella City Council has begun installing signage that informs about access to the LEZ, such as the one already displayed at the entrance to Francisco García Parra Street, indicating that the area may be monitored by “cameras.” The choice of the new signs aligns with those in the capital, following the City Council’s study of various models used in cities such as Madrid, Zaragoza, or Málaga, under the criterion of “uniformity” with the neighboring locality to serve “citizens who typically move around these areas,” as stated by the Mobility Councilor, Félix Romero, in November.
The Local Government Board provisionally approved the town’s LEZ on October 10, restricting it for now to the historic centers of Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara. The agreement was presented to the Plenary on the 27th of that month, with its final approval pending the drafting of a municipal ordinance to regulate it and an air quality study.
The Council plans to approve this regulation next year, allowing for the “sanctioning of the use” of the LEZ, requiring a prior measurement of air quality, as explained by Romero in October. He pointed out that the city lacks “sensors or strategically located stations throughout the municipal area” to monitor pollution levels.
Therefore, the approval of the LEZ is provisional, and the City Council will not impose sanctions for the time being. During a transitional period, “violations will only be subject to communication and warning by security forces,” he said.
Access to the LEZ
Access to the LEZ in Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara will be restricted to certain vehicles, such as those with B, C, Eco, and Zero environmental labels, as well as mopeds, bicycles, and personal mobility vehicles. Access will also be granted to those associated with residents or requested by owners or tenants of parking spaces, commercial premises, or tourist accommodations, according to the councilor.
Vehicles that distribute “goods or deliveries, those that regularly transport people for health reasons, or those driven or regularly used by holders of reduced mobility parking permits” will also be allowed to enter the LEZ, as well as those of “services and State Security Forces and Bodies, Emergencies and Local Police, those accessing certain official buildings, hospitals,” or those of “municipal public services for cleaning, lighting, etc.,” indicated the municipal official.
Málaga City Council is finalizing details for the launch of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in the capital. It aims to be operational in Q1 2024 without restrictions initially, with limitations introduced from the second year for cars and motorcycles, and from the fifth year for vans.
Other LEZ Zones in action:
