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Put in place by hitherto mayoress Manuela Carmena of the Podemos faction Ahora Madrid ('Madrid Now'), the city centre is shut to traffic except authorised public transport, residents, residents' visitors – up to a maximum of 20 a month – service providers and delivery drivers, emissions-free vehicles, and lower-emission B and C vehicles en route to a public car park.
The idea was to cut air pollution in Spain's capital, after representatives from Madrid and Barcelona were summoned to Brussels to explain why emissions there were among the highest on the continent and to detail their plans to reduce it.
Spain was one of a long list of countries with polluted cities ordered by Brussels to do their environmental homework.
One of the petition's signatories, David de los Ríos, says: “There's still a lot to do in order to reduce air pollution and bring Madrid in line with other European capital cities; let's not lose what little we've achieved so far.”
The author of the petition, on Change.org – J. Sáez – said it would be 'a shame' for Madrid to 'fill up with cars, pollution and gridlock again', and called for residents to help campaign for 'Madrid Central' to stay in order to achieve a 'more modern, sustainable, visitable and pedestrian-friendly' city.
Manuela Carmena won the most seats in Sunday's local council elections – 19 in total – but this is not enough for her to govern and, even if her party joins forces with the left-wing socialists, or PSOE, this would still leave them short of a majority.
The right-wing PP seeks to enter a pact with the centre-right Ciudadanos which would outnumber a left-wing coalition, but would still not have a majority – to this end, the PP says it may need to allow alt-right Vox to enter the local government team to keep Carmena out.
Carmena is reportedly trying to find ways of hanging onto her seat, which would automatically mean Madrid Central would stay.
PP leader José Luis Martínez-Almeida says the debate about reducing air pollution 'should focus on efficiency' and that Madrid Central 'is not efficient'.
The possible new mayor of Madrid says the European Union 'is concerned with the ends, not the means', and believes there is no need to keep the city traffic-free in order to reduce its emissions.
Both the PP and Vox said in their electoral campaigns that they would axe Madrid Central if they won, although Almeida says he would 'not necessarily go for a complete reversal' of the move.
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EVERY now and again, Spain's traffic authority launches a campaign to remind drivers of what they should and should not be doing, or to answer common questions – such as, can drivers be fined if passengers do not...