The PP government team in the Granada capital had two main variables when implanting the, which prevents circulating through certain spaces to the oldest and polluting cars: the greater or lesser amplitude of the restricted space and who affects the restriction. The election has been that it only affects those who are not registered in the capital, without greater limitation in transit for those who live in it. Since April 1, no gasoline car enrolled before 2001, or 2006 if it is diesel, can circulate through Granada if the owner is not resident in the city. Those same cars, however, can circulate freely if the owner is registered in the capital. In short, the relevant is not the polluting capacity of the car, but the postal code of its owner. The capital has made a norm that finally legislates on non -capital.
In a city in which between 50% and 70% of the traffic comes from outside and in which the relationship between the capital (232,612 inhabitants) and its area of influence (380,000 people in their broader consideration) is constant for work, leisure, purchases or health care, this ordinance seriously affects the nearby towns. There are more than 230.00 possible vehicles from the 29 locations with almost 300,000 people in what some studies call first crown, 10-15 minutes; Of the 18 villages with 48,000 more people in a second crown at 20 minutes, and another 10 municipalities with 33,000 people in the third crown, approximately half an hour away. Many people and vehicles of which around 10% could see their access to the capital forbidden.
Therefore, the metropolitan area is annoying but, officially, only on the socialist shore. To the, it seems an “unconstitutional standard.” , think “that threatens the reality of the metropolitan area.” For it is “a nonsense that affects many professionals from here that they go daily to the capital to work,” A, it seems that “isolates the rural environment”, while for, “imposes unnecessary difficulties to access essential services such as health, education and economic activity.” On the popular shore, at least in public, the norm has fallen in grace. In a plenary session a few months ago in the town of Las Gabias, in which a motion of the PSOE was voted against the norm, the, in addition to voting against it said: “If we want to get the quality of the air, not only of capital grenade, but of the entire metropolitan area improves, there are no more options than making decisions and adapting to the law.” Something further, but also affected by the new standard, is Loja, whose mayor, has also refused to vote a motion against the Zbe of Granada.
Some crack, however, has appeared in the PP. This is the case of Santa Fe, whose mayor, Juan Cobo Ortiz, has claimed changes in the Granada Ordinance such as reducing the extension, implementing the ZBE in phases and, addressing a very specific sector of his fellow citizens, has sent a letter in which he requests “a corridor to all street vendors, who exercise their activity in each of the Granada markets”. This newspaper has tried to speak unsuccessfully with the mayor of Las Gabias and that of Santa Fe.
and Councilor for Mobility in the 2021-2023 period, remember that then there were other options on the table. His proposal, he explains, had its origin in the idea of a previous councilor of the PP, “the central almond model, agreed between the two great parties and the mayors of the metropolitan area.” That model began by closing only the historic center of the city, but to all polluting vehicles, regardless of origin. To that first restricted space, they would follow that of other successive concentric rings.
The norm, which comes into force in a few weeks, has closed its period of allegations a few days ago. The PSOE Granada has submitted 20, which add to others of various municipalities and groups, until reaching 250 claims, according to Ana Agudo (PP), Councilor for Mobility, in addition to 1,200 consultations and requests per email more. More than a dozen locations governed by the PSOE have communicated their allegations to this rule. Acute regrets that “the Law of Climate Change demanded the implementation of a ZBE on January 1, 2023, but the Socialist Government team did not leave a role done and touched all the background work, both project and ordinance.” Some sources confirm that the ordinance has been written, in all or part, by an external consultant.
It was forced to the municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants to define areas of restricted circulation at the beginning of 2023. The agreement is widespread in the need to take measures for Granada, the city with the worst air quality in the country after Madrid and Barcelona, improve that parameter. The complaint is about the adopted model. Alfacar’s socialist mayor admits that “of course we have to seek a better air for the capital and the metropolitan area, but it cannot be that if you live in my town you cannot go in certain cars, but if you live in the chana [barrio de la capital] You can take an old tractor that releases oil and smoke and circular as if nothing. ” Gómez Abad recalls that she has had to sell her car and buy another so that her family can come and go to the capital.
For the mayor of Armilla – city without frontera Real with the capital – “it seems unconstitutional because environmental criteria are not used, but of registration, which are discriminatory and do not improve air quality,” complains and says it is willing to go to the Constitutional Court if the norm is not changed. Raquel Ruz, from the capital, adds two factors: “Nor have public transport improved with new lines or more frequencies now, nor will it be done in the next two years. Nor is there a sensible edge parking plan. A few have been designated that, in reality, are private parking lots, with other uses and far from the center. ” On the other hand, the restriction of next April is only the beginning. In December 2027, says Rus, “they will review the standard and in principle there will be restrictions for vehicles with B label, which greatly expands the list of vetoed vehicles, since it would affect practically all the previous ones to 2016.”
He still has three weeks to modify the regulations from those 250 allegations. It is those weeks, the second -hand car market is on the province, with sales of cheap and useless cars for the people of the periphery but perfectly useful for those of the capital. People also consider other alternatives before selling: “I can also register with my mother, who lives in Granada, or put the car in their name,” says someone who prefers not to identify.
