The DGT (General Directorate of Traffic) designs the Low Emission Zone signal for all municipalities

The new Law on Sustainable Mobility,promoted by the Government,aims to highlight the benefits of low emission zones.

A new recipe to boost the use of bicycles in large Spanish cities thanks to the new Sustainable Mobility Law.

Years ago, Barcelona pioneered the creation of a roadmap for theLow Emission Zone to improve air quality. Between 2018 and 2020, it applied restrictions in the city center to reduce pollution and CO2 emissions.

But currently, the new Climate Change Law drafted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, into force since last May, targets to protect air quality and above all proposes some guidelines for cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants.

The said Law is aligned and positioned with the EU target, which urges governments to implement more Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in cities to combat CO2.

What is a Low Emission Zone (LEZ)?

A low emission zone is a strategy used to combat pollution and global warming. LEZs are areas where the most polluting vehicles are restricted and cannot access due to their contamination.

LEZs are a concept widely used across Europe to reduce pollution and are committed to traffic calming. Traffic calming strategies are one of the reiterations in theState Cycling Strategy, recently presented by the government.

By adopting the law, it is planned to boost open, safer, healthier cities and that adapt their mobility policies by promoting the use of bicycles, MVP and public transport.

For this reason, theDGT has issued a new generic sign informing that the entry of motor vehicles is totally prohibited, with the exception of those DGT labelled.

Thus according to the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets, the aim is to give new impetus to mobility that is both more electricand sustainable by reshaping the city center, where the role will change after so many years of adapting cities to vehicles.