Barcelona City Council has legally cemented the suspension of fines for the city’s Low Emission Zone (ZBE). Consequently, a retroactive decree now allows older, more polluting vehicles to circulate indefinitely. This measure directly responds to the ongoing Rodalies rail crisis, which has severely impacted public transport reliability.
Following days of administrative uncertainty, Mayor Jaume Collboni signed the decree on Tuesday morning. Therefore, the document legally shields drivers forced to use private vehicles due to the rail chaos. It ensures they will not be penalised even if their cars lack the required environmental label.
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Rodalies rail crisis prompts indefinite suspension
The suspension is effective retroactively from 22 January 2026 and carries no fixed end date. According to the decree, the exemption will remain in place sine die—indefinitely—until the Generalitat de Catalunya formally declares that the “irregularities” in the Rodalies service have been resolved.
Meanwhile, the Low Emission Zone ordinance technically remains in force and surveillance cameras have not been disconnected. However, the City Council confirmed that no sanctioning files have been processed since the crisis began. “From that day [22 January], sanctions were deactivated,” municipal sources confirmed.
Legal certainty for drivers during the Rodalies rail crisis
This move addresses legal confusion that arose after the Generalitat initially announced a suspension of the ZBE. Local administrations, which hold the actual authority to enforce these zones, were left in a grey area. The confusion centred on the legal basis for waiving fines based solely on a regional government request.
To resolve this, Barcelona City Council invoked Article 12.2 of the 2023 municipal ordinance. This article allows the Mayor to authorise access to the ZBE for “reasons of general interest” via a reasoned resolution. Therefore, this decree now provides the necessary administrative coverage for the exemptions.
The decree has been communicated to the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). This body coordinates environmental policy across the capital and surrounding municipalities including L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Cornellà, Esplugues, and Sant Adrià de Besòs.
Station support increased amid Rodalies disruptions
Beyond the traffic measures, Mayor Collboni announced a reinforcement of municipal staff at train stations. The aim is to assist confused travellers. Consequently, the number of information agents has been increased to cover ten stations, now including Torre Baró and Sant Andreu.
A municipal mobility committee continues to meet daily. It evaluates the situation in coordination with the Catalan government.
“We continue to live in an unacceptable situation. We ask to return to normality as soon as possible.”– Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona
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