British tourists will soon have to navigate a ULEZ while at home and on holiday, thanks to new rules being enacted in one of Britons’ favourite vacation hotspots.
Marbella City is in the process of inducting several areas into zona bajas emisiones (ZBE) areas, the Spanish equivalent of London’s controversial low emissions zone.
The local city hall approved the measure late last year on October 10 and announced it would apply to Marbella’s historical quarters and San Pedro Alcantara.
The decision will add more than a dozen streets to the ZBE’s bounds, crisscrossing highly visited neighbourhoods on the Costa Del Sol.
Much like the rules of similar schemes elsewhere in Europe, those city streets will soon become accessible only to select low emissions vehicles.
Many roads soon to join the ZBE are among the most visited in Marbella, including Castillejos Street, the west entrance to Marbella’s historic old town.
Others joining the long list likely to impact foreigners include the Plaza del Castillo, the site of a massive local hotel, and La Trinidad, a local hotspot for live-in expats.
Marbella’s incoming ZBE will only be accessible for cars with selected environmental badges.
Only vehicles in categories B and C, meaning they are low-polluting petrol or diesel cars or hybrid ECO and electric CERO vehicles, will be able to circulate in the listed areas.
The full list of streets soon to join the ZBE includes:
- Ramón y Cajal Avenue between Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente and Huerta Chica Streets
- Tetuán
- Castillejos
- Jacinto Benavente parallel to Central Market car park
- Avenida del Mercado
- Peral
- Ancha
- Chorrón
- Lobatas
- Príncipe
- Portada
- Escuela
- Plazuela de San Bernabé
- Plaza del Castillo
- Trinidad
- Salinas
- Arte
- Nabeul
- Juan Alameda
- Postigos
- Francisco García Parra
- Atarazanas
- Salvador Rueda
Several streets from the Bairro Alto area, in Marbella’s picturesque old town, will also join the ZBE.
They include:
- Plaza Santo Cristo
- Aduar
- San Francisco
- San Diego
- Leganitos
- Plaza de Leganitos
- Alcantarilla
