Traffic Restrictions in Madrid and the Exception of Motorcycles

From the beginning of 2015, the city of Madrid took measures for high-pollution cases, approving a protocol for immediate action. This plan includes speed limits on the M30 bypass and other roads for accessing the capital city in addition to prohibitions on non-resident car parking in resident areas and reducing traffic on the M30 loop and the M30 by 50 percent. The most remarkable: motorcycles are exempt from these measures. 

Three levels of action are established according to the level of concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂): pre-warning, warning and alert. The higher the level, the greater the restrictions.

The “Warning” status, exceeding 250 micrograms of NO₂, can be maintained for three days. During this time, the speed on the M30 and city access roads (from the M40) is limited to a maximum of 70 km/h and the parking of non-residents in SER areas is prohibited and circulation on the M30 loop is restricted to even or odd-numbered license plates according to the date.

If the levels at three stations of the same area exceed 400 micrograms of NO₂ per cubic meter of air for three hours, the status changes to “Alert”. In this case, the traffic restrictions with even or odd-numbered license plates also extends to the M30.

This document was expanded with the specification that both motorcycles and mopeds can fully circulate at any time as compared to other cities such as London or Paris where they are on the same level as cars and their prohibitions.