Red and orange restricted parking zones to be introduced in Marbella
The town hall has announced a "change of philosophy" to encourage vehicle rotation, attract visitors to the town centre and make parking easier for local residents
Town halls along the Costa del Sol have for a while now been using 'blue zone' parking areas and some have also introduced green zones. Now, Marbella town hall is set to introduce red and orange parking areas.
The red zone signifies 'extremely restricted' areas, designed for the vicinity of public buildings (tax office, social security, post office, police station etc.), where parking may not exceed 30 minutes. The orange zone, which will include parking areas located in municipal and public car parks or spaces temporarily set aside for events will allow non-residents to park for a maximum of 24 hours.
The new system is part of a bylaw for a new regulated parking system, the draft of which was approved by councillors on Tuesday 2 September. However, it won't come into force until at least early 2026 as the proposal must go through a period of public consultation and then a contract for the service will have to be drafted and put out to tender.
"It is an absolute change of parameters and philosophy; a profound change of model, with the aim of favouring rotation, attracting customers to the old town and facilitating parking for residents," said town hall spokesperson Félix Romero.
In the blue zone the parking time will be 2.5 hours and in the green zone it will be limited to four hours
As well as the red and orange zones, the blue zones will include areas near commercial, tourist or cultural attractions, where parking will be allowed for a maximum of two hours and 30 minutes (half an hour above the current limit), while the green zones will be located on roads that form the perimeter of commercial facilities or residential areas with few underground parking facilities, including areas near beaches or residential areas, with a limit of up to four hours for non-residents (one hour less than at present).
The hours during which this limited parking zone will be active will not change: Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm and from 4.30pm to 8.30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm.
With the resident's card, registered locals will pay less in their district and will not have time restrictions in green zones
For the purposes of residents' permits the town has been divided into four large districts: Marbella, Nueva Andalucía-Puerto Banús, San Pedro Alcántara and Las Chapas and within their area of residence, resident card holders will be able to park at a reduced price and without time restrictions in green zones.
As far as fines are concerned, the tickets for cancellation of the fine will not only continue to be available, but the price will be reduced from 25 to 15 euros and they can be paid up to 24 hours after the offence.
In addition the town hall will set up charging points for electric vehicles, both inside and outside the regulated areas and will control loading and unloading areas to prevent improper use.
