Alex Trelinski
ALICANTE’S Low Emission Zone(ZBE) will officially come into force on January 30.
The reality is that motorists will notice no difference as the Old Town area continues with restrictions introduced in 2011, and has now been classified as ZBE Zone 1.
Alicante mayor, Luis Barcala, has made it clear in recent years that access would not be reduced across a wider area.
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The newly created Zone 2 covering the ‘traditional centre’ and Zone 3(Gran Via) will continue to allow all vehicles to enter as before.
The Alicante ZBE ordnance states that it is ‘flexible’ and does not contemplate extra restrictions or penalties for Zone 2 and Zone 3- something reiterated by Mayor Barcala.
Temporary measures, however, would be introduced if pollution levels get too high.
In such an instance, vehicles with the highest levels of emissions would be banned.
Alicante City Council has used the creation of its ZBE to install a network of cameras plus 10 information display screens at a cost of €4.4 million.
70 cameras- which can all read licence plates- have been erected and linked by 32 new fibre optic lines in a network that can support up to 300 surveillance cameras.
14 air quality measurement monitors and nanosensors have also been pressed into service.
