The Low Emission Zone of Santa Cruz will start in August 2023. That is the date with which the capital city hall to set up, specifically in El Toscal, this space in which road traffic will be regulated with the aim of reducing pollution. For the application of these restrictions, the new Mobility and Security ordinance, currently in the public exhibition phase, after its initial approval, has introduced the figure of Regulated Parking Zones (ZER), with which the way in which it will be possible to park in certain parts of the city is detailed, mainly in those with a high density of cars. The need for prior authorization or payment for parking are some of the characteristics of these areas.
Thus, as stated in the aforementioned ordinance, “the Regulated Parking Zone (ZER) is configured as the instrument for the allocation of a scarce resource such as parking space.” vehicle parking on public roads, promoting adequate rotation, as well as a tool to promote sustainable mobility by integrating sustainability considerations into the allocation criteria”.
In this way, parking lots with limited hours will be defined by the City Council, and these may be free or paid, and the control of parking time will be carried out through the method or methods determined by the City Council. Bicycles, motorcycles and scooters are excluded from this limitation in the parking lot. As are those parked in areas reserved for their category or activity; Autotaxi vehicles that are in service, provided that the person driving is present or has momentarily abandoned it due to the service’s own needs; the vehicles used for the movement of persons with reduced mobility in which the corresponding special authorization is exhibited, subject to the prescriptions and limits established in the special authorization and provided that the holder of said authorization is traveling; or any other assumption established by the Fiscal Ordinance Regulating the Rate.
In the free ZER, the parking lot user must identify the parking start time. To this end, a mobile phone application with free and open access will be enabled where the driver must register his vehicle by recording his license plate in the area where he has proceeded to park it. This application will control the residence time.
There will also be a badge approved by the competent authority that can be used in the event that there is no mobile phone device. This badge will clearly determine the time in which the parking is carried out and must be placed by the driver inside the vehicle in a visible place.
The corresponding signage will determine the days and time slots of operation of the limited parking, as well as the maximum stay time. Once said maximum time has elapsed, the same vehicle may not remain parked in said place or in any other of the reserved area until two hours have elapsed.
In the paid ZER, the City Council may establish the rate for limited parking of mechanically-tracted vehicles, through the approval of the corresponding tax ordinance.
parking meters
The ZER of payment will be extended to those roads or sections of these included within the perimeter for whose parking regime limitations are established in its duration, areas that will be controlled by parking meters or other telematic means.
In addition, there will be different modalities of use, from a general one, in which the parking of vehicles will be allowed for a limited time in the duly signposted sections of road, going through the preferential use for residents in which the preferential parking of owned vehicles will be allowed. of the residents in the area and which will also be duly signposted, up to one in which the municipal authority may agree to establish new areas differentiated from the previous ones in the event that, due to their peculiar characteristics, they require a specific and different regulation from those already mentioned and that may have a regulation schedule, limitations on the duration of parking and amount of fees different from those.
The Mobility Ordinance establishes the definition of parking for residents, which will only be for vehicles that are included in the resident register prepared for this purpose by the City Council. Vehicles not included in said registry that park in this area of preferential use for residents must do so under the conditions determined by the competent municipal authority and upon payment of the corresponding fee.
The vehicles included in the registry of the system for residents parked in the area of the ZER for general use payment will be governed by the rules of use established for the rest of the vehicles.
Regarding the operation of the regulated paid parking, this will not be active on holidays, while the hours of operation of the different zones will be determined in the corresponding signage, as well as the maximum parking time allowed in each one of them. Again, it refers to the tax ordinance that must be drawn up so that the amount of the payment can be established, as well as the ways in which it can be made.
The question that the ordinance also answers is how the ZER is going to be controlled?
This will establish a control system endowed with the necessary material and personal means. Specifically, the titles to enable, accredit or allow the right to use parking spaces on public roads in regulated areas will be, through the parking time ticket issued by the parking meters or registration in the system, accrediting the payment of the corresponding rate; registration in the register of resident vehicles prepared for this purpose by the City Council; registration in the register of vehicles for people with reduced mobility, prepared for this purpose by the City Council; other titles issued by means or electronic and telematic control devices implemented for this purpose, such as the cards that this ordinance establishes to access the Urban area.
In the case of a free ZER, the authorization for parking will be constituted by the corresponding registration in the mobile phone application or the proper placement of the device enabled for this purpose.
Finally, regarding the way to control that the limitations are complied with, there will be specific personnel who, duly uniformed, will carry out the control of the service.
Resident Vehicle Registration
The City Council, at the request of the interested party, will register those residents who meet the conditions established in the ordinance. This register of residents will include a list of vehicles that may be parked in the authorized area, in a certain regulated parking area.
Inclusion in said registry implies recognition of resident status, and allows the authorized vehicle to be parked in a specific area of the regulated parking area, upon payment of the amount determined for this purpose by the Tax Ordinance regulating the corresponding rate.
No more than one authorization may be granted per person and address. However, it will be possible to obtain a resident authorization and parking reservation authorization for people with reduced mobility for the same address.
