The Metropolitan Area wants to ban circulation with yellow stickers in 2028

BarcelonaFewer (polluting) cars and more bicycles. The Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) council has approved this Tuesday the new Metropolitan Urban Mobility Plan (PMMU) 2025-2030, which foresees restricting the passage of vehicles with a yellow sticker through low-emission zones (ZBE) within two years, in 2028. It is the second attempt to deploy this protection belt for air quality, after the pandemic frustrated the initial plan to extend the ban to the yellow sticker as early as 2022. The AMB's proposal is based on the Generalitat's current regulatory framework, which obliges cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to limit this type of vehicle, first for cars and motorcycles and, later (in 2030), for heavy vehicles. However, the same entity admits that it does not have the capacity to force municipalities to apply the restrictions, nor to make use of the sanctioning regime.

the pandemic frustrated the initial plan to extend the ban on the yellow sticker as early as 2022.The plan not only maintains the date for the yellow sticker, but also foresees the continued expansion of the ZBE to new municipalities, such as Sant Andreu de la Barca, and the definitive integration of those already in the process of implementation. These are Barberà del Vallès, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Molins de Rei, and Sant Vicenç dels Horts. "So far, the experience has been between good and very good," says Iglesias. Currently, the AMB has 135 cameras installed in the ZBEs to monitor their use, and each day they capture more than half a million license plates passing through the respective municipalities. Furthermore, it receives around 3,000 calls per month regarding these matters.

More public bikes and connection with Barcelona's Bicing

, are added from the metropolitan organism.

The connection of the so-called "greater Barcelona" by bicycle goes even further. The AMB assures that it is also studying the connection of AMBici with the Bicing of the Catalan capital, taking into account that the current contract ends in 2028. The agreement will also depend on the Barcelona City Council and the definition of the future management model.

More public bikes and connection with Barcelona's BicingSetback for the AMB in bus management

The new metropolitan plan will be born, however, with a hurdle that this Tuesday has become insurmountable. The AMB intended to assume before 2030 the management of all urban bus lines that pass entirely through municipalities of the AMB, many of which still depend on the Generalitat and on which it was foreseen that they would go out to tender in 2028. But, as ARA reported last Friday, the Government has made a 180-degree plot twist, and today has announced —through an emergency decree— its plans to extend, for another six years, the current contracts, which have already been expired and extended for more than 20 years.

The decision of the Territori department has been a significant setback to the AMB's plans, which sees its objective therefore delayed. Sources from Territori explain that the AMB should not worry because "the service will have improvements nonetheless", which will be, yes, at the expense of the operators and supervised by the Generalitat. However, Territori has explained that, if appropriate, "specific cases may be studied to separate some lines".

"We must analyze and evaluate how the new emergency decree affects the AMB and from here make the adjustments that are considered necessary", have valued sources from the metropolitan entity, who assure that until yesterday they were unaware of the Government's change of opinion on this matter. The organization has put out to tender nine contracts during this term that cover the entire first ring and part of the second, with actions in areas such as Barcelonès Nord, Baix Llobregat or logistic and industrial environments.