The City Council of El Prat de Llobregat is launching a crackdown on illegal airport parking operators. This move targets firms that have been monopolising public spaces near Barcelona–El Prat Airport. Consequently, the council will introduce a new regulated “orange parking zone” this spring to prioritise local employees.
This measure responds to a proliferation of illicit “park & go” services. Often dubbed “ghost parking” companies, they charge travellers for secure parking but instead abandon vehicles on public streets in nearby industrial estates. Therefore, thousands of workers in the Mas Blau area and surrounding logistics parks cannot find parking spaces near their workplaces.
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Home » El Prat Orange Parking Zone: Council Cracks Down on Illegal Airport Valets
Targeting the ‘ghost’ operators in the El Prat orange parking zone
According to municipal sources, the new orange parking zone is scheduled to come into force between April and May 2026. The timing is deliberate, aiming to have the regulations in place before the high summer travel season begins. Last year, the summer peak resulted in severe congestion. Streets and vacant lots around the airport were completely saturated by tourist vehicles.
Until now, El Prat has only utilised blue zones for high-turnover areas and green zones for residents. However, the new orange designation is specifically engineered to filter out pirate valet services. By regulating these streets, the council intends to prevent fraudulent operators from using public roads as cost-free storage for their clients’ cars. They often leave them there for days or weeks at a time.
“The intention is to favour workers as much as possible,” council sources stated. They noted that they have received numerous complaints from employees who are frequently late for work due to the impossibility of finding parking.
Impact on local industry from the El Prat orange parking zone
The fraudulent business model has caused significant disruption for legitimate local businesses. Workers at major companies in the Mas Blau estate, such as Amazon, have reported that parking availability often vanishes overnight.
“From one day to the next it became impossible to park from first thing in the morning,” said one employee affected by the shortage. “We didn’t understand anything, until we started noticing that there were several guys parking cars every day around the office.”
Another worker noted seeing tow trucks removing vehicles recently. However, they expressed doubt that the illicit operators would take responsibility for the fines.
Police barriers and fake companies near the El Prat orange parking zone
The problem extends beyond El Prat into the neighbouring municipality of Sant Boi. To combat this, airport operator Aena, in collaboration with the Mossos d’Esquadra, has installed concrete “New Jersey” barriers in vacant lots and on sidewalks in the logistics zone. These areas had previously been commandeered by illegal operators when legal parking spaces were full.
Aena confirmed the barriers were installed “at the request of the tenant companies” and to facilitate police operations against irregular activities.
The scale of the fraud is substantial. The Mossos d’Esquadra have identified approximately 30 “ghost” companies operating without private lots or surveillance, despite advertising secure facilities to travellers. Police investigations have uncovered serious irregularities. These include vehicles being used without the owners’ consent and staff working without driving licences or under exploitative labour conditions. This mirrors concerns raised in a recent police crackdown on fraudulent ‘park and go’ services near El Prat Airport.
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