Barcelona bans older vehicles in bid to stop pollution

Barcelona bans older vehicles in bid to stop pollution

In a bid to reduce air pollution and improve public health, Barcelona has begun restricting entry of older vehicles into the city for most of the day on weekdays. The city has defined a 95 square km-wide low emissions zone within its ring roads (ZBE Rondes de Barcelona) and municipalities adjacent to these, and began implementing the traffic restrictions in these areas on January 1.

Vehicles impacted by the new measures include all pre-Euro 3 standard petrol and pre-Euro 4 standard diesel cars registered in the country before 2000, as well as pre-Euro 3 motorcycles and mopeds registered before 2003.

These vehicles will be banned from most city streets on weekdays between 7 am and 8 pm, and those who violate the rule stand to face a fine of at least €100 (RM459). However, enforcement won’t begin straight away – a three-month grace period is being provided, in which offenders will not be fined but notified.

Barcelona bans older vehicles in bid to stop pollution

All banned vehicles will be allowed to enter the city within the restricted timeframe 10 times a year. Meanwhile, owners of non-compliant vehicles registered outside of Spain will have to request permission from city hall to drive in the city during the enforcement period.

According to news reports, the move – which is expected to lead to a 15% cut in nitrogen dioxide emissions -is expected to affect around 50,000 vehicles a day. Starting from next year, vans, lorries and buses without an environmental label will also be banned.

Barcelona joins Madrid in the move to improve its air quality. Last year, the latter began a policy of restricting driving in the old city centre only to people who live there, with residents from outside the area only being able to drive into the area if they use electric or low-emission vehicles.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • alldisc on Jan 06, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    Such a positive move from Spain, joining many other cities of EU

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Baby Master Yoda K.O. Thanos on Jan 08, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      Support Catalonia succession from Spain

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • If this is to take place in MY, Habis lor!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Mustafa Habib on Jan 07, 2020 at 8:51 am

    Better ban all the old Protons in Malaysia. They are polluting the country badly.

    I see all the Wira and Iswara emitting thick black smoke…..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 5
    • Safety First on Jan 08, 2020 at 9:48 am

      I prefer cars with black smoke over cars without rear seatbelts like Kancil and Kenari. In fact, just ban all Perodua cars because they are inherently unsafe for use.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Sam KK Look on Jan 07, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    Better ban all the old PooDua in Malaysia. They are polluting the country badly and threatening the life of their car occupants as their jalopies can’t even fit a rear seatbelt – no anchorage point and this PooDua even omitted their rear seatbelt that time where old Proton Saga Megavalve have it, but sadly it doesn’t being made compulsory that time all because of this PooDua doesn’t have it and law enforcers don’t want to buta saman their PooDua old car passengers.

    I see all the Poodua jalopies emitting thick white and other colorful smoke from their exhaust pipe plus too many occupants died or seriously injured in accident with PooDua…..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
 

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