Madrid Central returns days after being deactivated and raises doubts among drivers

On Monday 1 July Madrid City Council eliminated the fines for entering the central area of the city with vehicles that were not authorised. Madrid Central, one of the flagship projects of the previous municipal government, was thus dealt a blow by the new governing team, led by the Partido Popular and Ciudadanos, which had the removal of this low-emission zone as one of its main election promises.

The reinstatement of the regulation eliminated by the council came after a complaint filed by Ecologistas en Acción before a Madrid court. The judge ruled in favour of the environmental association, causing the moratorium proposed by the municipal executive to be provisionally suspended.

From the early hours of 8 July, Madrid Central is active again, and fines have resumed for all vehicles entering this low-emission zone without authorisation. However, the launch of these anti-pollution measures has taken drivers in Madrid by surprise, many of whom have not been properly informed.

The Madrid City Council took a day to announce the return of fines in Madrid Central, and did so via a tweet, so many Madrid residents did not find out that from the early hours of 8 July they could again be fined for driving through the central streets of Madrid.

Since Saturday, the council has not provided any further information on the matter, although it did announce that day that the start of fines was being delayed until Monday, as most of the central streets were closed for the LGBTIQ Pride march.

Drivers who entered the Madrid Central area this morning have found police action under way, with fines once again being issued. Although no immediate enforcement is expected today, fines will most likely be imposed again from tomorrow onwards.

How long will Madrid Central remain active?

The council intends to extend the moratorium until 30 September, but with its provisional cancellation, it is unknown how long the Madrid Central zone and its fines will remain in force.

The council has three days to appeal this decision, so the situation could change again by the end of the week if the appeal is accepted. For now, it should be known that vehicles with C and B labels may not circulate unless they are residents, guest vehicles, or are travelling to find a car park, public or private. Only vehicles with ECO and ZERO labels may drive, so all of these factors must be taken into account when driving through central Madrid to avoid the risk of receiving a fine. Once again, it is better to use public transport whenever possible.