Malaga's Low Emission Zone issues 46,000 fines in eight months amid legal uncertainty

In June, the Andalusian High Court (TSJA) partially overturned the measure at the request of the Vox party and on the grounds that the ZBE discriminates against vehicles registered outside Malaga city.

Despite this court ruling, Malaga city council has kept the restrictions in place pending the final legal outcome.

The system only imposes fines on vehicles from outside the municipality that do not have an environmental sticker. The plan is for vehicles with a B sticker coming from outside the municipality to also be subjected to fines from 30 November.

The most likely scenario is that the local council will ultimately have to amend the regulation to treat all drivers equally and impose fines on all vehicles, including those that pay the IVTM (motor vehicle tax) locally.

The official breakdown Malaga's security department has provided shows that there were 11,712 reports between December 2025 and January 2026, of which 6,213 from the period between 1 and 28 December and 5,499 from the period between 29 December and 1 February.

Subsequently, between February and May 2026, there was a total of 23,745 fines, with weekly figures ranging from 1,395 to 1,652. Finally, in June and July 2026, there were 11,105 proposed penalties.

In light of these numbers, Con Málaga spokesperson Toni Morillas has called on the ruling party to immediately suspend the penalty system and amend the regulation. Morillas is criticising the city council for placing far greater emphasis on imposing fines than on developing a sustainable transport alternative.

According to Morillas, the fines are overshadowing the fact that Malaga city council has not provided the promised infrastructure. "Of the 5,000 park-and-ride spaces promised by Mayor Francisco de la Torre, not a single one is currently operational," she said.

Morillas is also calling for the expansion of the EMT bus network and the wider transport system, safe footpaths and specific measures for areas such as the El Ejido university campus.

Morillas demanded that the council publicly explain how the funds derived from these 46,562 fines are being used and urged the security councillor to sit down with the political groups, local residents and organisations "to devise a model that is lawful, fair and effective".

Read dedicated local reporting for Malaga city