The control cameras will be located at the entrances to the ZBE along Berenguer de Tornamira, Jaume III, Jaume de Santacília, Joaquim Botia, Via Roma, Jeroni Antich, Pere Dezcallar i Net, Francesc de Sant Miquel, Plaça d’Espanya, Josep Anselm Clavé, Bonaire, Sindicat, Francesc Cantarellas, Jaume Lluís Garau, Porta del Camp, Joan Carles I, Porta de Jesús and Joan Lluís Estelrich. As for the signs, they are being placed all around the perimeter of the access to the ZBE, informing which environmental controls apply.
The installation work is being carried out by Aluvisa, a company specialising in intelligent mobility systems that also participated in the ZBE in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The start-up of the ZBE in Palma has been estimated at a cost of more than half a million euros, including investment in installations, computer licences, signage and studies and technical work. From 1 January 2025, cars without a sticker or with an A label (petrol cars registered before 2001 and diesel cars before 2006) will not be allowed to circulate in the ZBE.
There will be some exceptions for certain services (such as alarm response vehicles or humanitarian organisations). In addition, the Ajuntament agreed to incorporate special routes into the ordinance for access to health centres (ambulatorio del Carme, Clínica Rotger, Mutua Balear and Hospital General). There will also be a temporary exception for those who live in homes within the ZBE, until 31 December 2026.
The council will not issue fines during the first three months of the year. During this trial period, only informative notifications will be issued to offenders. In 2027 the ban will be extended to vehicles with a B badge; and from 2030 only Eco and Zero Emission vehicles will be allowed to circulate.
A low-emission zone (LEZ) is a defined area where access by some polluting vehicles is restricted or deterred with the aim of improving air quality. This may favour vehicles such as bicycles, micromobility vehicles, (certain) alternative fuel vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and zero-emission vehicles such as all-electric vehicles.
A ultra-low-emission zone (ULEZ) is a zone with a stricter emissions requirement than LEZ. A zero-emission zone (ZEZ) is a LEZ where only zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) are allowed. In such areas, all internal combustion engine vehicles are banned; this includes any plug-in hybrid vehicles which cannot run zero-emission. Only battery electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles are allowed in a ZEZ, along with walking and cycling and fully electric public transport vehicles, e.g. trams, electric buses etc.
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How about cars with number plates from Germany and France, if they have the stickers from these countries are they allowed to circulate in the restricted areas.?
Richard PearsonHow many low income citizens living within the boundary I mentioned who need to travel out of it on a daily basis are there?
Sibe MentoI’m all for public transport etc, but do you realise how many low income citizens live within the boundary you mention and need to travel to work outside of it on a daily basis ? And they are precisely the ones who a) can’t afford the luxury to buy a car that covers these demands and b) if they could, where do they charge them at night ? California will be the place to watch, IF it can produce enough power to cover the demand. Big if.
The LEZ (ZBE) will likely be extended once the 3-month initial 'no fines' period is up. There will be a few months of income from fines. As that steadies out, revenues can be allocated to funding the expansion and incrementally replacing existing LEZ with ULEZ. However, the entirety of the city, within the highway, should be zoned with a congestion charge. Low-emission vehicles will pay a lower fee to enter the zone. This will incentivise light industrial - the majority being delivery services - to upgrade to EV fleets. The result is a more peaceful, calm, and healthy car-free city for everyone. Correctly implemented, this scheme can pay for itself within 18 months. The income from the charge would be best spent on funding new public transport infrastructure. Then roll it out across the whole island to all the main towns.
Marcia AtkinsThank you so much for this info!
Richard PearsonYes, these new rules come at a significant cost to residents, we will be forced to buy new vehicles sometime in the next 4-5 years - I would be ready to accept the new rules in the old town where many of us live - but they must also apply the exact same rules to our dirty neighbour, the cruise terminals and stop them from belching their toxic dirty diesel fumes 24hrs per day whilst moored in our harbour to power their generators. The fumes from the marine bunker oil these ships burn is the most polluting and toxic of all - because bunker fuel is the least refined of the oil based fuels.
Zoltan TeglasZoltan, not to mention the estimated nearly 250.000 flights taking off and arriving at Palma airport, not too far from the city centre and same for the Cruise liners in the harbour.
Marcia AtkinsVery helpful, thanks. May I ask what sort of vehicle do you drive, eg electric, hybrid, new petrol or diesel, etc ?
Zoltan TeglasI don’t want to even go down that road (no pun intended), as there are conflicting reports about both of them as far as CO2, NOx and cancer are concerned. What is true is that 99.99 % of commercial vehicles use diesel, which will mean more expensive delivery costs for businesses which will be passed onto the consumer, wherever they live. And we all know that sooner than later, the so called clean air zone will be expanded to everywhere within the motorway that surrounds Palma and then along the ones that go to the island’s major towns. And as Chris quite rightly says, whilst Europe is bankrupting itself with these net zero schemes, industrial and industrializing nations such as China, India and the African continent are building coal fired power stations as if they were going out of fashion. I suppose public transport and two wheeled transport will be the only options left for us.
Thanks so much to the Bulletin for this article, it has been so difficult to find information about the new Low Emission Zone, let alone on how to obtain the necessary sticker. Have just managed to obtain mine, no thanks to the Dirección General de Tráfico which has little or no info on their website. Instead, one has to apply through the post office website, at the following address (for info in English) : www.correos.es/es/en/individuals/para-el-ciudadano/dgt-services/environmental-quality-seal You have to attach a copy of the vehicle registration certificate and vehicle owner's ID, and pay 5€ by credit/debit card plus 2.99€ for postage, and it should arrive at your address within a couple of weeks.