Mayor PP of Palma, Jaime Martinez, It is up to the PSOE municipal group to limit the entry of cars into the center of Palma after Vox’s veto of the approval of the ordinance for the creation of the Low Emission Zone (ZBE) which will be debated and voted on. this Thursday in plenary The first measure envisaged by this municipal regulation will be the ban on the circulation in the historic center of the Balearic capital from January 1, 2025 of cars 25 years old.
Only the abstention of the eight socialist councilors will allow the minority government of the PP with 11 of the 29 councilors in the plenary room, to execute this regulation since the six councilors of Vox, programmatic partners of the popular, This time they will vote against it, just like the three from Més and the only advisor from Podemos, who will also reject it.
Only in this way can the municipality comply with the requirements of the law on climate change and energy transition, which provides for the entry into force of a low-emission zone in January 2025. If not If not, Palma could lose 43 million euros. euros of European funds associated with this and other environmental projects.
The advantage of the Mobility advisor, Toni Deudero, If the socialists do not support the negative vote of the rest of the opposition parties, it is because, fundamentally, The prescription is the same one they wrote but didn’t process, Although he introduced small changes but of little importance.
The implementation of the ZBE will limit road traffic in the center of the Balearic capital to petrol vehicles over 25 years old (registered before 2002) and diesel vehicles over 24 years old (registered before 2006).
Failure to comply with these rules and driving an unauthorized vehicle in a ZBE is considered a serious offense under the highway code in force since 2022 and involves a fine of 200 euros.
From January 1, 2027, those bearing the B label will no longer be able to do so, that is to say those with gasoline registered before 2006 and those with diesel before 2015. Finally, from January 1, 2030, vehicles bearing the C label, petrol ones registered since 2006 and diesel ones since 2014.
Hybrid and electric vehicles will have no limitations to access the center of Palma.
The urban space that will make up the ZBE of Palma is delimited by the axis of the Avenues, coinciding with the old city walls and by the seafront.
The outer limits of the ZBE where license plate reading cameras will be installed to punish violators extend from Avenue Gabriel Roca, section of the mouth of the Riera, Paseo Mallorca, Avenue Portugal, Avenue Germany, Avenue Comte de Sallent, Avenue del Gran y General. Consell, Plaza de España, Alexandre Rosselló avenue, Gabriel Alomar avenue and Adolfo Suárez avenue.
Vox’s rejection of its implementation is due to the fact that the ZBE would be capriciously delimited in the city center for the benefit of large stores to the detriment of small businesses given that the measurements taken were carried out only in the center of Palma, without taking into account the peripheral ring, the most polluting area and lacking parking.
This failure to take into account the increase in traffic in peripheral areas for Vox would go against the main objective of the ZBE, namely reducing emissions and saving fuel.
From the separatist ranks of Més, the need to extend the ZBR from the sea to the Vía de Cintura is defended, in addition to prohibiting access to non-resident rental vehicles. For this training, the ZBE project does not represent any progress in reducing emissions, nor any improvement towards sustainable mobility in the city, given that the the historic center is one of the least emitting areas, thanks to the expansion of restricted traffic zones (Acire) carried out in recent years.
