site.btaSofia Introduces Low-emission Zone

A Low-emission Zone (LEZ) was introduced in Sofia on Friday and will be in place until February 29, 2024, the Sofia Municipality’s press centre said. The LEZ covers a downtown area referred to as the small ring.  It includes the Vasil Levski, Patriarch Evtimiy, and Slivnitsa boulevards and the Gen. Skobelev and Opalchenska streets.

The decision to introduce an LEZ was adopted by the Municipal Council at the end of 2022 in compliance with a Sofia City Court ruling. Back then, the court ruled that Sofia Municipality should introduce low-emission zones as part of measures to improve air quality, especially during the winter months.

Access to the city's zone will be restricted to gasoline vehicles whose date of first registration is before January 1, 1996 and to diesel vehicles registered before January 1, 2002.

The restriction does not apply to cars of citizens whose residence registration is in the small ring and to people with disabilities.

Low-emission Zones have been introduced in over 300 cities around the world. They are aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving living conditions in cities, the Sofia Municipality added.