The implementation of the low emission zones (ZBE) in Madrid and Barcelona has changed little the mobility habits of citizens. In fact, seven out of ten – 65% in the capital of Spain and 75% in the Catalan metropolitan area – keep them the same. This is clear from two studies carried out by the RACC and Zurich Seguros to understand the impact and acceptance of these measures that restrict the circulation of the most polluting vehicles to improve air quality.
Both reports conclude that the ZBEs do not have a direct effect on the modal distribution of mobility, that is, that Madrid and Barcelona residents have barely changed their way of moving, be it on foot, by bicycle, on a scooter, by bus, by metro, by motorcycle or car. Only 12% of the people surveyed claim to have changed their way of getting around in Madrid and 9.1% in Barcelona.
Only 9.2% of Madrid residents who regularly took their car before the implementation of the ZBE have changed their way of getting around, while 8.8% of those who did not use it now do so. In the case of Barcelona, ??the percentages are 10.5% and 2.5% respectively. For their part, of those who traveled by car and motorcycle, only 7% have switched to public transport in Madrid and 8% in Barcelona.
13% of car or motorcycle users in Madrid have purchased a new vehicle due to the launch of the different ZBEs, a percentage that rises to 16% among those in Barcelona. Half of them have purchased vehicles with an ECO label.
Although just over half of those surveyed (55% in Madrid and 51% in Barcelona) agree with the implementation of ZBEs, 80% in both cases disapprove of their management. Furthermore, half of the people consulted (50% in Madrid and 55% in Barcelona) reject the application of greater restrictions, that is, prohibiting circulation of vehicles with label B.
The city of Barcelona and the capital of Madrid have been among the first cities to develop and implement low-emission zones to improve air quality. Currently, there are few municipalities that have done so, despite the fact that the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, approved in 2021, establishes that in 2023 all Spanish cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants – also those with more than 20,000 that exceed certain contamination values ??- must have ZBE.
Its implementation is one of the measures that the Government wants to apply to cut at least 23% of CO2 emissions in 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The roadmap ends in 2050, the year in which it has been set for Spain achieves climate neutrality, that is, greenhouse gas emissions are equal to or less than those eliminated through the planet’s natural absorption.
Low emission zones restrict access and circulation to the most polluting cars. The screening is carried out based on the environmental labels with which the DGT classifies vehicles. Thus, those classified as A – that is, without a badge – are the first to be banned from traveling through these areas. These are essentially gasoline passenger cars registered for the first time before 2000 and diesel cars before 2006.
It is possible that there are some specimens that a priori lack the badge and deserve to have it. The reason is that the Administration gave the ratings based on the year of registration of the vehicle instead of taking into account the European emissions regulations that it complied with (Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro 5 or Euro 6).
It is common for brands to get ahead of environmental regulations with mechanical variants that meet their requirements before the regulations come into force. Hence, there may be a diesel car registered in 2005 that is governed by the Euro 4 regulations and deserves the B badge but does not have it because the DGT criteria have incorrectly ruled it out. And the same thing can happen to a gasoline car that, despite being a Euro3, does not have the sticker for the mere fact of having been registered in 1999.
