The date is set for Alicante's new Low Emission Zone
The regulations will come into force at the end of the month in Alicante city
Following countless delays and setbacks, Alicante’s Low Emission Zone (ZBE) will finally come into effect at the end of January, but in reality, the new rules will have virtually no impact on motorists.
Originally, the plan was to restrict access to the city’s most polluted areas for high-emission vehicles, particularly those not registered in Alicante. However, political disagreements derailed the project last year. The ruling Popular Party (PP) couldn’t secure support to pass the municipal budget, partly due to the ZBE proposal.
Fast forward to this year, and the PP struck a deal with Vox to approve the city’s budget, but at the cost of significantly watering down the ZBE regulations. Gone now are the planned "blacklists" of polluting vehicles and access restrictions to certain parts of the city.
In practice, this means no new rules will be introduced to curb pollution, aside from those already in place in Alicante’s Old Town. The 4.4 million euro investment in cameras and screens around the ZBE will now primarily serve to monitor traffic and provide information, rather than enforce emissions-related restrictions.
While the Low Emission Zone technically begins this month, its impact on pollution is expected to be minimal under the current setup, and drivers shouldn’t face any additional hassle.
In the wider scheme of things, many large cities will fully implement their ZBE policies throughout 2025 and enforcement will tighten. In places like Madrid, for example, older cars not entitled to an environmental label will be completely banned from circulating, even if registered locally. You won’t even be able to drive them out of the garage.
Cities and large towns will clearly mark ZBE perimeters with signs, posters and in some cases, ground markings like Madrid’s red boundary line.
Surveillance cameras and traffic police will ensure compliance, monitoring vehicle types and environmental labels.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Alicante
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