Last June, the General Directorate of Traffic created a new sign to identify the Low Emission Zones stipulated in the new Climate Change Law. We clarify the confusion that has arisen as a result.
Although it has jumped to the present time these days, the truth is that the new signal that will identify the Low Emission Zones (LEZ) from January 1, 2023 It was presented by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) last June.
This signal comes as a consequence of the approval of the new Climate Change Law promoted by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, and which entered into force on May 22.
This does not mean that this type of car will be prohibited from entering all LEZ areas, since this criterion will depend on the municipalities
This law specifies that all municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants They must establish low-emission zones for their entry into force on January 1, 2023. This will also apply to localities with more than 20,000 inhabitants that fail to meet air quality criteria.
The official sign will indicate the vehicles that will be able to circulate from the placement point through a plate located under the sign of prohibited passing polluting vehicles. This plate will indicate what environmental badges or DGT labels allow circulation in these points.
Cars with label B
But the illustration of the official sign has led many to confusion, since it contains the exception of the prohibition for motor vehicles equipped with ZERO, ECO and C labels, but not for those bearing the B label.
This does not mean that this type of car will be prohibited from entering all LEZ zones as of January 1, 2023, since This criterion will depend on the municipalities that manage these areas. Therefore, as drivers, we must pay attention to the signs in each area to find out if we can drive through it depending on the type of label that our car has assigned.
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In Barcelona this signal is already used in the city and some parts of the periphery, although in its case it only restricts the passage to vehicles that do not have an environmental label. In Madrid, the municipality of Rivas-Vaciamadrid It already has a Low Emission Zone, although where applicable the restrictions are related to certain hours on school days.
Last December, Madrid 360 came into force, which has two areas of this type: Downtown District and Plaza Elíptica. Seville has also already implemented an area of these characteristics.
In the case of Madrid, the fine for not respecting the Low Emission Zones already in force will be 200 euros from the month of March, although each municipality will have the power to increase the penalties derived from this type of infraction according to its own criteria.