Pollution-controlling measures intensify as Spain bans operation of 10-year-old diesel vehicles in select urban areas.
In a significant move towards cleaner air and sustainable mobility, several cities across Spain are implementing bans on diesel cars registered before 2015. This timeline, currently underway, sees cities such as Bilbao, Madrid, Getafe, Estepona, and others enforcing restrictions from 2025 onwards.
The focus is on diesel cars over 10 years old, often classified as "B label" vehicles, which are considered more polluting compared to newer models. In Bilbao, for instance, these vehicles are banned from the city centre from 7 AM to 8 PM, Monday to Friday, with a fine of €200 for violations. This ban is part of a broader crackdown on older diesel vehicles in Spain.
Madrid, Getafe, Estepona, and Bilbao are not the only cities enforcing such bans. Over 150 towns and cities in Spain will have low-emission zones by the end of 2021, with more than 30 cities already banning older diesel cars. Cities like Malaga and Palma de Mallorca have announced they will start banning "B label" cars from January 2027.
The Spanish government is firm in its stance, with the threat of withholding public transport funding from cities that do not comply with low-emission zone regulations. The region of the Generalitat will ban all "B label" vehicles from every low-emission zone by 2028, or earlier in times of heavy pollution. San Sebastián and the entire region of Catalonia are also planning to implement similar bans.
Critics view the government's actions as a thinly veiled tax on ordinary people. However, the Spanish government's war on wheels aims to reshape mobility, improve air quality, and encourage the purchase of newer (often electric) vehicles. The new Clean Air Plan, recently approved by the Generalitat, is a testament to this commitment.
It's important to note that the ban does not affect vehicles with labels other than "B". Living with an old-school diesel car in Spain could result in a €200 fine or a trip to the scrapyard. Violating this rule in Bilbao results in a €200 fine.
As more cities join the movement, the timeline for diesel car bans in Spanish cities is expanding, with expectations that more cities will enact similar bans progressively in coming years. This shift towards cleaner air and sustainable mobility is a significant step in Spain's green transition.
- Environmental science has identified diesel cars registered before 2015 as more polluting, classifying them as "B label" vehicles.
- The finance sector may face a surge in scrapyard visits as the ban on these older diesel vehicles takes effect.
- Climate-change policies and legislation are driving cities like Malaga and Palma de Mallorca to ban "B label" cars by 2027.
- In the realm of politics and general news, public transport subsidies are becoming contingent on cities enforcing low-emission zone regulations.
- The industry of car-accidents and crime-and-justice may see a decrease as a result of the shift towards cleaner air mobility.
- War-and-conflicts between critics and the Spanish government over the ban on older diesel carscontinue to escalate, with the former viewing the policy as a tax on ordinary people.
- Transportation systems are evolving in Spain as the ban on diesel cars extends to entire regions, such as Catalonia and San Sebastián.
- As cities enforce low-emission zones and ban older diesel cars, the issue of climate-change and energy conservation is finding increasing prominence in Spain's business and policy agendas.
