Couple Cleared After Licence Plate Mix-Up

Carmen and José, a 78-year-old couple from Bueu in Pontevedra, Galicia, have been cleared of six traffic fines issued by Barcelona City Council for alleged breaches of the city’s Low Emission Zone (ZBE) rules. The sanctions, totalling €1,200 at €200 each, were issued between September 2024 and early 2026, despite the couple never having visited Barcelona and their vehicle remaining within the province of Pontevedra. The error arose due to a confusion between licence plates, according to Francisco José Domínguez, the couple’s representative at the Bueu management agency. The couple owns a 20-year-old Audi A4 used only locally. However, automated cameras in Barcelona captured a different vehicle, possibly a tractor, with a licence plate similar to theirs. Passenger cars and tractors in Spain both use formats beginning with 'E', followed by numbers and letters, increasing the risk of misreading.

We are desperate. We live in a village. My wife is furious, and I wanted to go to Barcelona to sort this out.

, José, affected resident

City Council Acknowledges 'One-Off Error'

Municipal sources told 20minutos that the incident was likely due to a "one-off error in reading the licence plate". Cameras used to enforce ZBE restrictions automatically capture vehicle images and send them to the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) for verification. If a vehicle lacks authorisation, the file is passed to the Institut Municipal d’Hisenda, which issues the fine without further checks. Three of the fines were initially annulled after the couple’s appeal, but three more were issued later. All were eventually withdrawn. The couple sought €150 in compensation for administrative costs, but this was rejected. The real driver, whose vehicle was captured entering restricted zones on Travessera de les Corts, Avinguda Madrid, and Avinguda Paral·lel, remains unidentified. Domínguez noted with irony: "The real offender is still at ease." Residents who believe they have been wrongly fined can appeal via the Institut Municipal d'Hisenda website or by post to C. Llacuna, 63, 08005 Barcelona.

Sources: Ajuntament de Barcelona.