The City Council, under the leadership of Santa Cruz’s mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, has definitively approved the project for the Low Emissions Zone (ZBE), aimed at digitally transforming and promoting sustainable urban transportation. This initiative falls under the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, with a European funding of €1,278,000 to be executed over a 10-year period.
This project is mandatory for all municipalities and island territories with over 50,000 residents. The contract for its development was awarded in December 2022 to the joint venture of Tema Ingeniería and Wawa Consultores en Movilidad for €71,751. These entities will oversee the project implementation.
Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez commented, “We are finalizing the general blueprint for a project that is contingent on a specific ordinance. The public’s feedback, with over thirty submissions considered, has shaped this final approval.”
The mayor stressed the importance of timely implementation, urging the Canary Islands Government to coordinate ZBE rollouts across the archipelago for consistency in urban mobility strategies.
Bermúdez called for the Regional Government to address uncertainties some councils have regarding ZBE decisions, aiming for unified guidelines across administrations.
Councilor Carlos Tarife highlighted, “The project, after the public review, will incorporate nearly 30 access control points with security cameras for parking regulation, a significant step towards creating a more sustainable Santa Cruz with an emphasis on environmental preservation.”
Approved Vehicles for Access
The project specifies authorised vehicles allowed to enter, circulate, and park within the Low Emissions Zone. Essential public services vehicles—such as State Security Forces, Local Police, emergency services, and health professionals’ vehicles—will have unrestricted access without municipal permits.
Additionally, vehicles of businesses or self-employed individuals operating within the zone, or those visiting for commercial activities, are permitted following the specified procedures. Vehicles accessing medical, veterinary services, and urban goods distribution vehicles complying with environmental regulations are also authorised.
Low Emissions Zone Enforcement
Ongoing monitoring will assess the ZBE’s implementation, environmental impact, and effectiveness through various measures. Monitoring air quality indicators at designated stations will gauge the impact of traffic-related pollution levels.
Currently, there are ten measurement stations across the metropolitan area integrated within the Canary Islands Air Quality Control and Surveillance Network, with proposals to install additional nodes within the ZBE zone.
Noise and energy efficiency indicators will evaluate energy-saving benefits resulting from ZBE measures. The next steps include publishing the agreement in the Official Gazette of the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, notifying relevant government departments, and ensuring continued cooperation across regional and municipal bodies.
