The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal by the Madrid City Council against the annulment of the regulations governing the Low Emission Zones. The ruling, which confirms the September 2024 judgment of the TSJM (Superior Court of Justice of Madrid), considers the economic report justifying the traffic restrictions insufficient, as it did not evaluate less restrictive alternatives or the economic impact on citizens. Traffic will not be affected immediately.
The Technical Void That Sank the Mobility Plan 📉
The core of the problem lies in the lack of a rigorous regulatory impact analysis. The court found that the City Council did not quantify the economic cost for affected drivers nor compare its model with other options such as registration-based restrictions or congestion charges. Without this data, the measure was considered disproportionate. For future LEZs, it will be necessary to present a complete study justifying each restriction and demonstrating that it is the least burdensome option for citizens.
Madrid: Now Without LEZs, But With the Same Old Traffic Jams 🚗
The City Council now has two options: do its homework with a decent economic report or let cars continue to roam freely while the technicians look for the calculator. The curious thing is that, while the judges argue over papers, the traffic jams on the M-30 remain the same. In the end, the air will remain just as polluted, but at least drivers can breathe easy knowing their wallets won't suffer from a poorly made regulation.