Malaga's Low Emission Zone does not fine cars with foreign number plates lacking environmental stickers

Málaga’s Low Emission Zone (ZBE), which has been in effect since November 30, has come under scrutiny for its inability to fine foreign-registered vehicles that fail to comply with environmental regulations.

While Spanish cars without the required environmental sticker are penalised with a 200 euro fine, foreign vehicles are not subject to the same sanctions, creating a disparity in enforcement.

The ZBE, aimed at reducing pollution in the city centre, is monitored by over 90 cameras that track vehicles entering the restricted area.

But SUR has confirmed through multiple sources and testimonies that the City Council is not currently equipped to issue fines to foreign-registered vehicles. This leads to a situation where a Spanish resident with a diesel car without a sticker cannot enter the ZBE, while a foreign national with the same type of car can drive through the city centre without fear of being penalised..

According to estimates based on data from the national institute of statistics (Ine) and border traffic, between 3,000 and 6,000 vehicles with foreign number plates circulate through the province every day, with higher peaks during tourist seasons. Malaga has a population of 300,000 foreign residents and many have their own vehicles. Although the law requires them to be re-registered in Spain and gives them a period of six months to do so, some of them keep their original number plates.

One foreign resident, a French national, described their experience with the City Council: “I was concerned about the ZBE, so I went to the transport department to find out how it affects foreign cars. They tried to input my number plate into their system, but after several attempts, they told me they couldn’t trace my car. That’s where it ended.” This means that foreign vehicles continue to drive through the ZBE without being fined, despite not meeting the environmental requirements..

SUR contacted councillor for transport Trinidad Hernández to ask why Malaga does not fine cars with foreign number plates that do not comply with the ZBE regulations. She said that her department is not responsible for how the regulation is being applied in reality, stating that the matter lies with the central government's traffic authorities (DGT).

"Local councils use all the mechanisms at their disposal to notify offenders whose vehicles are registered outside Spain. Local authorities have been calling for years for an effective cross-border vehicle identification and notification model", sources from the city council said.

A statement signed by the transport department confirms that the city council is unable to fine cars with foreign number plates. It says that the plates are registered, but that they cannot be fined. "Once the number plate has been captured, the system automatically consults the records of the DGT, which is the body in charge of the environmental classification of vehicles. In the case of foreign registrations, the DGT does not provide the necessary environmental information to continue the process, which is why the system cannot do anything about these vehicles," this source states.

DGT sources, however, rejected the idea that the state is responsible for enforcing fines on foreign cars within the ZBE, calling such claims "false".

According to the DGT, the ZBE’s jurisdiction falls under the municipality, and the agency's role is limited to processing fines on roads under national jurisdiction through the European Car and Driving License Information System, which enables cross-border cooperation between traffic authorities in EU member states.

Other Spanish cities, such as Palma de Mallorca, have already implemented measures to fine foreign vehicles that fail to comply with environmental regulations, setting a precedent for Málaga..

Málaga’s Low Emission Zone, which covers 404.3 hectares of the city, has been in operation for two months. The ZBE is equipped with 97 cameras designed to monitor and control traffic entering the restricted area. Its objectives include improving air quality, reducing noise pollution, promoting the use of public transport, and encouraging the use of less-polluting vehicles. The City Council hopes that, over time, the ZBE will help reduce private vehicle traffic and increase the efficiency of Málaga’s transport system.