Santa Cruz de Tenerife Clears Legal Hurdle for Low Emission Zone Implementation

Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council’s plan to restrict traffic in the city center has cleared a major legal hurdle. A local administrative court has dismissed challenges from the Vox municipal group and the El Perenquén neighborhood association, both of which aimed to stop the city’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ).

The legal dispute focused on whether the city followed the correct procedures before the new rules took effect. Vox argued that the city could not set traffic limits based only on a technical project without an existing municipal ordinance. However, Judge Cristina Escamilla ruled that the project is a legitimate part of the administrative process, confirming that the city’s sequence—moving from the Mobility Plan to the current traffic ordinance—is valid.

The court also upheld a 1.4-million-euro contract for the technology needed to run the zone, including air quality sensors, noise monitors, and access control systems. The El Perenquén association had challenged this, arguing that the contract was premature because the final ordinance was not yet in place. Judge Roi López rejected this, ruling that the contract was valid because the underlying planning framework was already established.

This decision allows the City Council to stay on schedule. The ordinance is expected to be finalized this summer, with the system set to launch in 2029. While the ruling is a victory for the city, it is not final, as both plaintiffs can still appeal to a higher court. The judge also ordered the plaintiffs to pay legal costs, capped at 1,500 euros for the political party.

Low Emission Zones are mandatory for Spanish cities with over 50,000 residents under national climate laws, but they remain a source of political and social debate. While this ruling clears the way for Santa Cruz de Tenerife to move forward, discussions regarding the city’s mobility model and the potential impact on local businesses are expected to continue.