Having to pay the parking meter in Madrid on weekends, holidays, and at night. Time slots that until now were always free of charge: this is the new measure that the City Council will apply very soon, already approved in a modification of the Sustainable Mobility Ordinance (OMS).
It will not be applied everywhere, but in specific zones and temporarily: the criterion will be demand, when it rises due to high attendance at sports, musical or cultural events with thousands of attendees. Also in commercial areas, which tend to become crowded. The city council will decide at what times it is applied. It is the remedy to ensure residents can park, since the SER zone hours tend to be of little use when there are matches, concerts or festivals.
Nights, Weekends and Holidays Paid When the City Council Decides
The modification of the Sustainable Mobility Ordinance (OMS), approved by the municipal government board in March, sets the groundwork for the City Council to extend the SER zone hours to demand. Right now, the regulated parking in Madrid (blue and green zones) leaves nights (from 21:00 to 9:00), as well as Saturdays from 15:00 and Sundays and holidays all day, outside of payment.
According to the city council, the extension of the SER hours and days will be imposed “whenever special situations arise that require temporary expansion.” In other words, days and moments, when large crowds attend events. When this change to the mobility regulation was approved, it was indicated that it would be in zones with high attendance due to cultural and sports activities, as well as tourist traffic or intense commercial activity.
Although the measure has not been detailed as to where it will be applied, the mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida has just provided some clues about these zones: “They could be the Bernabéu or the Movistar Arena or the Las Ventas bullring at times when there are events“. At Real Madrid’s stadium, with concerts temporarily paused, it could be on match days, given the relatively extensive calendar between La Liga and the Champions League. The Movistar Arena hosts Real Madrid’s home basketball games, in addition to numerous concerts and events. In the spring-summer season, several bullfighting events are held at Las Ventas, and this venue is used for other events from time to time.
The aim of the measure is to secure parking for residents in the vicinity of these arenas. This is something Martínez-Almeida has reiterated: “So that the neighbors have the capacity to park, which is what we are lacking right now.”
In this ABC interview he did not mention commercial or tourist zones, which tend to be crowded beyond occasional events. Although it is true that the most problematic area is Puerta del Sol, which, being within the ZBE Centro District, only allows surface parking for cars with ECO and ZERO labels. Even so, these vehicles are increasingly numerous: ECO cars have been the best-selling for the past couple of years.
The Green Zone Is of Little Use to Residents When There Is a Concert or a Match
The change is driven by residents’ complaints in certain areas, such as Chamartín near the Bernabéu or Salamanca, near the Movistar Arena. On days with concerts or matches, those without a garage find it impossible to park near their homes.
This is closely related to the SER zone hours in Madrid: they are restrictive, but not enough, as many events tend to coincide with the end of meter service or occur on weekends.
- Blue zone: from 9:00 to 21:00 anyone can park, up to a maximum of four hours, paying the established rate. Residents can park free of charge only between 20:00 and 21:00. From 21:00, it ceases to be a paid service and the time limit no longer applies. Saturdays up to 15:00. Sundays and holidays, no service.
- Green zone: residents can park for free with no time limit, any day. They can also park as non-residents: between 9:00 and 21:00 by paying a higher rate and for a maximum of two hours. From 21:00 the service stops applying, and from 15:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, it also stops.
From Monday to Friday, the SER green zone (up to two hours) leaves a fairly tight margin for a basketball or football match, as well as a concert. But it should be noted that many of these events extend beyond 21:00, when both zones stop being charged. This means a resident cannot park until the space is freed, which may occur around midnight or later.
Pricing, charged in fractions of a minute, is much cheaper than leaving the car in a parking lot. In the blue zone, one hour costs 1.10 euros, two hours 2.75 euros, and four hours 8.25 euros. In the green zone, one hour costs 2.05 euros and two hours 4.10 euros. Thus, if you park, for example, at 19:00 in green spaces, a non-resident can have the car parked for several hours for just over 4 euros, since the service stops applying from 21:00. This is the base rate, which is reduced by 10% for cars with label C, by 75% for ECO, and by 100% for ZERO.
And not to mention if the concert or game is on a Saturday (free after 15:00) and Sundays and holidays (no service). A non-resident can park on a Saturday at 15:01 (or from 13:00 paying two hours) and leave their car without limit until 9:00 on Monday. Therefore, forcing payment in the free time bands, and also applying the time limit that is in force during service hours, will allow residents to have free parking spaces.
When Will the Extended Hours for Green and Blue Zones Go Into Effect?
Three months have just passed since the modification to the Sustainable Mobility Ordinance (OMS) was approved to allow the City Hall to extend SER zone hours on demand, but beyond what Almeida stated in the ABC interview, the zones have not been expressly detailed. Nor when this measure will be activated, which for now is not in effect.
In theory we should not have to wait long for an answer: the Madrid city councillor has indicated that it will be announced when it comes into force during the state-of-the-city debate, which will take place next Tuesday, June 30. Meanwhile, the Environment and Mobility department has spent all this time studying the specific zones where the hour extension will be imposed.
Images | Pexels, Ayuntamiento de Madrid
