In the coming days, the Urban Centro El Perenquén Residents Association plans to file an appeal against the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) project for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which was approved by the City Council on June 10 and officially published recently in the Official Gazette of the Province (BOP). The association argues that precautionary measures should be taken or, in their absence, the complete nullification of the forthcoming ordinance.
The development of the ZBE project, which aims to reduce pollution and promote sustainability in cities by implementing traffic restrictions in municipalities with over 50,000 residents, was awarded to the UTE consortium formed by Tema Ingeniería and Wawa Consultores en Movilidad in December 2022 for a total of 71,751 euros.
Despite this, the El Perenquén Association, a local movement that successfully challenged five articles of the city’s recent Mobility ordinance in front of the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC), is now set to litigate against the ZBE project. They argue that the measures outlined in the ordinance are “restrictive and pose a threat to the freedom of movement in the Tenerife capital.”
Sources informed by DIARIO DE AVISOS stated that “the existence of the project and the restrictive measures put forward by the City Council imply that prior economic and budgetary reports, social and market impact assessments, and exploration of alternative courses of action have been considered in the decision-making process. These documents so far suggest a comprehensive strategy to reduce or eliminate various forms of pollution, as the data collected within the capital comply with the air quality regulations.”
According to the appellants, “there is no valid justification for CO2 vehicle emissions to be the sole basis for a disproportionate, discriminatory project that lacks legal validity on various grounds. The principle of proportionality necessitates the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles seeking restricted access, circulation, or parking in certain areas.”
They highlight that “measures limiting vehicle access and circulation in Santa Cruz, without exceeding legal health thresholds, could be justifiable in larger cities or temporarily during episodes of air quality breaches. However, the approved project merely seeks to constrain citizens’ mobility freedom alongside restricting circulation rights, implying that vehicle usage is linked to individual economic capacities and the need to trade for an authorized alternative within the designated area.”
“This hurdle also extends to owners of vehicles lacking the environmental badge (available at 6.5 euros), burdening individuals with limited purchasing power and adversely affecting them,” they emphasise.
39 Appeals Accepted to Broaden Vehicle Access
The Santa Cruz city centre ZBE project has garnered 39 objections from residents, organisations, and authorities during the public display period of 30 days. Out of these, 15 have been accommodated, according to the final documentation released in the BOP last Friday.
The project, awaiting a specific ordinance, has undergone amendments based on the compiled submissions which include facilitating access and parking within the ZBE for public service, police, private security, and emergency vehicles; as well as for businesses, self-employed individuals within the designated area, individuals visiting medical or veterinary facilities, and those involved in merchandise transport.
Further modifications focus on enhancing tram infrastructure. The plan entails new extensions, with one route passing through Avenida Bravo Murillo and Ángel Guimerá, and the future line 3 along the La Salle-Méndez Núñez axis. Additionally, surveillance activities will be intensified.