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Alcorcón approves a ZBE with no restrictions for its residents
Alcorcón takes the final step to activate its Zona de Bajas Emisiones, but with an important difference compared to other models: residents will still be able to drive and park in the city with any vehicle, whether or not it has an environmental label. The new ordinance goes before the municipal Plenary this Wednesday and aims to comply with the Ley de Cambio Climático without imposing direct restrictions on those who live in the municipality.
The restrictions will focus on the most polluting vehicles that do not belong to residents. In practice, cars without an environmental badge and from outside Alcorcón will be the first affected by the regulation. For them, access, driving, and parking within the ZBE will be subject to conditions, although there will be exceptions and special permits for justified cases.
The perimeter will be extensive. The ZBE will cover almost the entire urban centre of Alcorcón as well as neighbourhoods like Fuente Cisneros y Campodón. However, large commercial and industrial areas such as Parque Oeste or Ventorro del Cano will be excluded, a decision that has already drawn criticism from the opposition.
The Town Hall argues that the measure is designed to reduce the most polluting through traffic, not to penalise residents. That is why temporary and named permits are planned for people who need to enter for work, medical, administrative, or family reasons. Each permit will be linked to a specific vehicle and must be justified before being granted.
Implementation will begin with an information phase. For the first six months there will be no fines, so the Town Hall can answer questions, adjust the system, and give drivers and businesses time to adapt. This is a key detail in a regulation that could change daily habits, especially for those entering Alcorcón from other municipalities in the south and west of Madrid.
PP y Vox reject the model and consider it disproportionate. They also fear that the ZBE is the first step towards introducing the Servicio de Estacionamiento Regulado, with possible restrictions and paid parking in different areas of the municipality. The local government, for now, insists that the ordinance does not limit residents' parking.
The measure comes at a time when many municipalities in Madrid are adjusting their own low emission zones, required by national regulations. The Comunidad de Madrid reminds that these areas restrict access for certain vehicles according to their environmental classification, although each town hall can design its own model within the legal framework.
For Alcorcón, the challenge will be to ensure the ZBE is not seen merely as an administrative obligation. If it works, it should reduce polluting traffic without making life harder for those who rely on their car for work, care, or getting around neighbourhoods with limited transport. If applied poorly, it could become another source of tension between residents, businesses, and the Town Hall. The difference will be in the details: clear permits, simple information, and a transition that doesn't leave anyone discovering the rules only when they get a fine.