Valencia to Implement Driving Restrictions in 2023 to Comply with New Spanish Climate Law

At BikeAlao we always try to use bikes and e-scooters in Valencia, but for those who need to drive, the new stickering system will come into force in 2023. In accordance with the Paris climate agreement of 2015, Spain is aiming to dramatically reduce carbon emissions by 2030. 2023 will see the first set of vehicle restrictions implemented over the course of the year. In municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants, the “Ley de Cambio Climático y Transición Energética” (law of climate change and energy transition) will see restricted access to designated low emission zones. 

Vehicles have been categorised into four groups according to age and fuel types. The more a vehicle is deemed to pollute, the more limited access it will have to these areas. Drivers will need to obtain and display a sticker for their vehicle according to its category. 

Types of Stickers 

Yellow Sticker B 

For petrol fuelled cars or light vans registered from January 1st 2001, diesel vehicles registered from 2006 and vehicles with a capacity of more than 8 people and heavy vehicles, (petrol or diesel), registered from 2006. 

Green Sticker C 

For petrol run cars and light vans registered from 2006 and diesel vehicles registered from September 2015. Vehicles which can carry more than 8 passengers and heavy vehicles registered from 2014. 

ECO Sticker 

Most hybrid and gas fuelled vehicles fall into this category. It is for plug-in electric vehicles with a maximum autonomy of 40km, non plug-in hybrid vehicles and natural gas or liquid gas fuelled vehicles. All ECO stickers vehicles must also comply with sticker C’s criteria. 

0 Emission Blue Sticker 

This category applies to the most energy efficient vehicles: Battery powered vehicles, high autonomy electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles with a higher autonomy than 40km will qualify. 

Vehicles registered before 2001 do not have the right to a sticker and will not be able to access the clean air areas in cities. Stickers can be obtained at the Post Office (correos). 

To check which sticker applies to your vehicle, call 060 or go to the Directorate General for Traffic (DGT) office on Calle de Mora de Rubielos 3, in Valencia city. 

Where will the low emission areas be? 

According to levante-emv.com, the City Council has acquired 274 cameras and will place 93 police control points to ensure the law is adhered to. 

The council has chosen the following 5 areas: 

 

Area North 1 

The borders for this area are the left side (Alameda side) of the Turia Park, the sea front and la Ronda Norte. The area excluded the grounds of the polytechnic. 

Area North 2 

The grounds of the polytechnic

Central Area 

This area is bounded by the right side of the Turia park (city centre side), Calle Colón, Calle Xátiva and Calle Guillem de Castro. 

South Area 1 This area’s boundaries are the right side of the Turia park, Avenida del Cid and the V-30 except the central area. It also includes Nazaret and Pinedo. 

South Area 2 

This area includes the neighbourhoods around la ronda Sur and the V-30. The Council plans to install 52 sensors to record the air quality as a means of measuring how successful the plan is. 

We at BikeAlao Bike Rental will probably stick to riding our bikes or e-scooters on Valencia’s bike lanes.

A bike-lane in Valencia with the symbol of a bicycle