The protocol relating to episodes of nitrogen dioxide pollution in Madrid has existed for four years without the need to activate it. Levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air have remained since December 2021 – when the last episode in which the restrictions were activated – was recorded – below the thresholds of 40 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) dictated by the European anti-pollution directive and the 180 μg/m³ that would trigger the emergency protocol for critical pollution episodes established by Madrid City Hall. Currently, none of the capital’s 24 stations exceeds 31μg/m³, according to sources. Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility and how he will present this Monday delegate Borja Carabante in the third commission on air quality of this mandate.
Since 2010, the capital has repeatedly exceeded maximum pollution thresholds, which led the municipal council, then led by Ana Botella, to create a protocol which was finally approved in March 2015. It included four main measures. First, automatically restrict vehicle circulation in central Madrid, limit speeds at city entrances and on the M-30 to less than 70 km/h, strengthen public transport and prohibit parking for non-resident drivers in areas with parking meters. These measures were activated at 6 a.m. on the day the threshold was exceeded and in some cases the restrictions affected half of the vehicle fleet, Sometimes vehicles with even number plates were stopped from driving, and at other times odd number plates were stopped from driving.
Given the chaos it meant for drivers to have to check every morning if they could drive either not on days of heavy pollution with registration restrictions, the city council approved in 2016 inform citizens at least 24 hours before the activation of the protocol in eheavily polluted soils and on the measures applicable according to the scenario. In 2018, they included measures to reduce the number of vehicles on days of high pollution taking into account the environmental particularities of the DGT favor the cleanest vehicles. Between 2016 and 2021, the protocol was activated several times.
19 episodes of heavy pollution from 2016 to 2021
In 2016, there were two episodes, totaling ten days. In 2017, 43 days were accumulated with the active protocol in seven episodes, including one for 11 consecutive days. In 2018, it was activated in four episodes, totaling 12 days. In 2019, its activation took place in three periods totaling 14 days. In 2020, it was activated in an episode that lasted three consecutive days, from January 8 to 10. And finally, In 2021, two episodes were recorded, for a total of seven days with restrictions: from January 16 to 19 and from December 16 to 18. Since then, the protocol has not been reactivated, which isThe responsibilities of the municipal council to the measures applied in the Madrid 360 sustainable development strategy.
However, during this period yes, they were applied specific measures against temporary increases in pollutionbut these are tools included in the sustainability strategy which are not part of the protocol, which is only activated if 180 μg/m³ is exceeded. The last case occurred on January 16, 2025, when a thermal inversion due to freezing triggered the levels of NO2 and the Town Hall have decided to double prices in the SER zone during this week to encourage the use of public transport.
Beyond these specific tools, the plan includes fundamental elements such as low emission zones (ZBE) which cover the entire municipality and accessible only to vehicles with or without an environmental label, but in the latter case only if they are registered.. It also covers the bet to multiply the Bicimadwhich will continue the growth of 17 stations per year and the renewal of the bus fleet of the Municipal Transport Company (EMT) towards 100% electric vehicles. With these measures, the capital is complying with the Directive from 2022 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 21 May 2008, on ambient air quality and a cleaner atmosphere in Europe. In 2025, the city will achieve this feat againas they celebrate from the area led by Carabante.
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