Malaga Sets a Dangerous Precedent for Cars Without Labels

One of the ways for drivers of vehicles with or without environmental labels to access low emission zones is by almost obligatorily entering a covered parking lot located within the protected area limit.

However, in Malaga, this has already become an exception. The City Council has begun to restrict access to such vehicles in its Historic Centre Protection Zone, even if they go to the Plaza de la Arriola parking lot, located in the heart of the LEZ.

This has been highlighted by the company that owns the parking lot, Ágora Inversiones, which has filed an administrative lawsuit against the council regarding the Mobility Ordinance, arguing that limiting access to this facility compromises its revenue, as they estimate that more than half of the cars entering have the restricted label.

For its part, the City Council argues that the general interest in implementing a sustainable mobility model, essential to ensure the health and safety of the area, prevails over the economic concerns of an individual, and the court ruled in their favour, denying the company's precautionary measure.

"The decision," they claim, "is considered necessary to ensure a more environmentally friendly environment and an orderly mobility model in the city."

However, Ágora points out that this sets a precedent for other municipalities with access restrictions for vehicles without environmental labels, where they may impose fines instead of allowing entry if the necessary requirements are met, such as parking in a lot.

This news comes days after a Madrid driver had to pay 35,400 euros in fines for accessing Low Emission Zones. In total, he received 177 notifications for his repeated entry, each for an amount of 200 euros.

Moreover, there are more drivers who, after accessing this restricted area for many consecutive days, are now receiving, several months later, an average of 10 notifications each day, which prevents the correction of behaviour and makes it impossible to pay the fines at a reduced rate, as they do not have the money, causing some affected individuals to have to mortgage themselves to face these payments.

Notifications of fines for accessing the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) for vehicles without labels have increased by more than 10% in Legálitas over the total fines imposed by the Madrid City Council in the last three months. In fact, compared to the same type of fines notified during 2024, they have grown by 50%.

The fundamental objective of LEZs is to reduce air pollution in cities, especially emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), which are harmful to human health.