Low emissions zone in Malaga city: An estimated 26,000 fewer cars per day and 11 million euros a year in fines

The low emission zone (ZBE) project in Malaga city has closed its last phase for any official objections just before reaching the plenary session for final approval. Malaga council's department for mobility is pushing to have it approved at this Thursday's full council meeting, otherwise it will be in October.

• Explained: how to get a low emission zone sticker in Spain

In autumn the ZBE will start to be applied but there will be no fines in this first 'year of grace'. Still, what are the key figures provided by the latest studies of this traffic restriction zone? The document, which exceeds 120 pages, has been analysed by SUR and allows us to draw some important conclusions, appropriately enough just after World Car Free Day (22 September).

The first important fact to note is that the application of the ZBE (once fines are in place) aims to remove pretty swiftly more than 26,000 vehicles from the central area of Malaga city where most congestion occurs. Such vehicles would be those not authorised in the first phases to enter through the entry points controlled by number plate reader cameras connected to the DGT (Spain's roads and traffic authority) database. In the longer term - 15 years - an estimated 40,000 vehicles per day would be removed from the streets, that makes 20% of the current traffic volume in the city centre.

In Malaga, as in the vast majority of Spain's municipalities implementing low emission controls, the regulations are more demanding of vehicles coming from outside the city limits. So where do those who drive through this future ZBE currently come from? According to the document, 75.5% is internal-to-Malaga traffic and 24.5% comes from outside. Of the latter, 11% comes from Torremolinos and the Costa del Sol, 5% from both Alhaurin towns, 4.5% from the Axarquía and Rincón de la Victoria, 2% from Las Pedrizas and 1.8% from Cártama and the A-357.

The pressure of traffic coming from beyond Malaga's city limits is unquestionable. According to the data, 206,500 motor vehicles enter on a daily basis the streets that will soon be restricted, so those from other localities make up a significant proportion, exceeding 50,000 per day.

The ZBE control points with the most traffic are Paseo Antonio Machado-Avenida Ingeniero José María Garnica, Bailén-Trinidad and Avenida de Andalucía-Jardines Picasso (21,000 cars per day). Close behind (20,000) is Paseo Pablo Ruiz Picasso with Rafael Pérez Estrada.

The central area under the ZBE occupies more than 404 football pitches and is home to almost 73,500 residents. It accounts for 26% of all motor vehicle trips in the city.

What types of vehicles are on Malaga's streets right now? Which environmental stickers do they carry? The most common label is the C one (40.4%), followed by the B label (31.1%), the label where problems may begin to arise. Almost one in four cars still has no label. The 'cleanest' cars, with ECO or Zero (0) category, only account for 3% and less than 1% respectively. The case of the B category is designed so that families use up the useful life of their current vehicles. Therefore, if they pay their car tax in Malaga, they can drive it without a time limit on entering the zone. However, if they sell, the vehicle loses access.

The council's mobility department has taken advantage of the 2023 and 2024 central government moratoria to fine-tune and test how this new reality will work, which represents a profound change to the current set-up. Still, in Malaga there have been experiments with traffic-restricted zones for years, the last one being the Álamos-Carretería intersection.

One of the in-depth studies that has been carried out concerns pollution in terms of both carbon, other gases and noise emissions. The latest fieldwork took place in the first four months of this year. The values for nitrogen dioxide are within the set limits. However, measurements taken did exceed with regard to PM10 particulates, both in the daily and annual thresholds. This is happening in two monitoring points: Caleta-Pablo Ruiz Picasso and Calle Pacífico. As for PM 2.5 (the finest particulates that most cause issues for those with respiratory issues), everything is in order. These data will be monitored and updated frequently to check objectives are being met.

The aim is to reduce carbon dioxide by 13.3 %, carbon monoxide by 16.4 %, nitrogen dioxide by 19.2 % and LDCs by 20.5 % by 2030.

The noise indicators comfortably exceed the 65 dB levels and give overall figures (morning, afternoon, evening, night) of between 69 and 75 dB. The results are within the range of the different noise maps and actions taken by the city's environment department in this regard.

There are 26,281 vehicles that do not meet the conditions for access to the ZBE. Of these, 70% are passenger cars, 11% are mopeds and 10% are motorbikes.

In any case, the most important thing for drivers is to follow the signs: 13 variable message boards have been installed, which will be reinforced with another 16 and, of course, vertical signs.

The implementation of the ZBE has involved an investment of 4.2 million euros (516,000 euros from Malaga city council). For this and other mobility policies, the recovery and resilience plan injected more than 10 million euros into the municipal coffers through central government.

The costs of managing the whole new system are estimated at 100,000 euros per year. The progressive modernisation of the city's vehicle fleet also promises an annual drop of 1.38 million euros in vehicle tax (IVTM). The same will happen with the blue zone (SARE - regulated parking areas mostly in historic city centre): it will drop by 5% initially (146,000 euros per year).

Therefore how much will be collected in fines? The latest studies calculate 263 daily fines based on a percentage of offenders amounting to 1%. The fine is 200 euros (100 for prompt payment within 20 days) and the lengthy municipal report estimates some 38,900 euros per day, 11.6 million euros per year will be collected in fines.

Everything has been analysed, down to the average number of passengers per vehicle. It is 1.55, the highest figure in similar studies in Spain, where the average number of occupants is 1.3.

An increase of 505,000 euros in public transport revenue has also been estimated for people who initially switch from private vehicles to using EMT services (Malaga city's public transport). There may be an initial transfer of 1.5% of people switching to public transport.

With all these parameters, the positive balance for the municipal coffers exceeds 10.5 million euros.

During the first year (autumn 2024-autumn 2025) all vehicles will be allowed to circulate in the ZBE. Things take a step further the following year, when restricted access starts for those vehicles with no label and registered outside the city of Malaga. From the third year onwards B-rated vehicles and those without a sticker from other municipalities will not be allowed to enter at all (including any B vehicles that have been sold, as previously mentioned).

So the 0, Eco and C groups can always enter in the first years, wherever they are from - and of course those from Malaga city too.

Regular collective passenger transport, taxis and VTC (private transport vehicles with an assigned driver), vehicles such as vintage cars (for rally purposes) and lorries will also be allowed to circulate within the ZBE.

For the first four years, vans will be able to circulate freely: Zero, Eco, C, B and even those with no label. From the fifth year onwards, vans registered in Malaga city will be allowed to circulate and those coming from outside Malaga and lacking a label will be banned.

Emergency services vehicles will have no problems.

The set-up of the ZBE has lasted one year and has been subject to a double consultation process. Its boundaries are set at: Paseo Marítimo Antonio Machado, Avenida Ingeniero José María Garnica, Calle Explanada de la Estación, Plaza de la Solidaridad, Avenida de las Américas, Avenida de la Aurora, Jardines de Picasso, Avenida de Andalucía, Calle Compositor Lehmberg Ruiz, Calle Hilera, Calle Santa Elena, Calle Honduras, Calle Arango, Calle Martínez Maldonado, Avenida de Barcelona, Plaza del Hospital Civil, Avenida Doctor Gálvez Ginachero, Calle Mazarredo, Avenida del Arroyo de los Ángeles, Paseo de Martiricos, Calle Huerto de los Claveles, Calle Marqués de Cádiz, Calle Juan del Encina, Calle Empecinado, Plaza Capuchinos, Alameda de Capuchinos, Plaza Olletas, Calle Toquero, Calle Obispo González García, Calle Amargura, Calle Ferrándiz, Paseo Salvador Rueda, Calle Rafael Pérez Estrada and Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso.