Parking in Madrid is set to become even more challenging for many drivers. The City Council has approved a modification to the regulations of the Regulated Parking Service (SER), allowing the expansion of both hours and days of operation for the blue and green zones in certain neighborhoods of the capital.
The key change is that the system can now extend to Sundays and holidays in areas with high parking demand. Additionally, the regulation no longer requires parking enforcement to end at 9:00 PM on weekdays or at 3:00 PM on Saturdays, as the municipal government can authorize extended hours as long as parking pressure persists.
The council argues that the measure aims to protect residents in areas with significant commercial, tourist, cultural, or leisure activity, where locals often struggle to park near their homes.
According to Borja Carabante, the city’s delegate for Urban Planning, Environment, and Mobility, Madrid has become “a successful model of sustainable mobility” thanks to measures designed to balance traffic and improve air quality.
The new ordinance also includes the creation of approximately 60,000 new SER spaces and a gradual expansion of the system to more districts. However, the City Council assures that each expansion must first receive backing from district boards and involve consultations with neighborhood associations and residents.
Nevertheless, the initiative has already drawn criticism from some citizens. Some residents believe that tightening restrictions will further complicate daily parking and impose additional costs for those who frequently use their cars. Others fear these measures will ultimately favor only vehicles with ECO or ZERO labels, indirectly encouraging fleet renewal.
The proposal will not ultimately affect Moratalaz, one of the neighborhoods initially mentioned as a possible area for SER expansion.
With this reform, Madrid continues to advance its urban mobility strategy, though the debate between sustainability, private vehicle access, and parking convenience remains more open than ever.
