Madrid will close its doors to traffic in 2018! Only the greenest vehicles and residents will be able to drive in

Madrid City Council has announced a new measure aimed at reducing the level of CO₂ in the capital. The central district will have its doors closed to traffic from next year, and only residents, sustainable vehicles, public transport and motorcycles will be able to access this area (although within a set time window).

Unlike the restrictions previously imposed by the Madrid City Council, which aimed to reduce emissions during periods of high pollution, this new measure will come into force indefinitely.

Where will entry to traffic be prohibited?

The well-known Residential Priority Area, a zone that has cost us a fine more than once, will see its limits extended from next year. Within this perimeter, bounded by Embajadores to the south, the Puente de Segovia and Calle Princesa to the west, Calle Sagasta and Alberto Aguilera to the north, and Paseo de Recoletos and El Prado to the east, only residents, sustainable vehicles (labelled 0 by the DGT, which includes 100% electric, extended-range electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles), public transport, shared mobility services (Emov, Car2Go or Ecooltra, among others) and motorcycles will be allowed to circulate between 7:00 and 22:00.

If we were to disobey the rules imposed by the City Council and drive through this area in any other type of vehicle, we would face a fine of 90 euros, which could only be avoided by parking in a private car park. The map highlights the area where driving will be prohibited from 2018.

The initiative may be a hard blow for many drivers, although it will serve to reduce the level of CO₂ in the city and, indirectly, to encourage the purchase of sustainable vehicles. The Madrid City Council estimates that the measure will reduce traffic on these streets by approximately 50%.

In addition, the council is still keeping 2025 as the year from which the most polluting vehicles – that is, those without the DGT environmental badge – will be banned from circulating throughout the city.