Torrelavega approves the new regulated parking ordinance with color-coded zones

The Torrelavega City Council has definitively approved the modification of the Ordinance regulating Active Regulated Parking (E.R.A.), which reorganizes the system into three zones differentiated by colors and changes schedules, maximum stay times, and the vehicle registration regime. The agreement was adopted by the corporation’s Plenary in an ordinary session on September 29, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria number 195, dated October 9, 2026, with the official reference CVE-2026-7843.

The regulation was processed as file 2025/13218N and is configured as a consolidated text that integrates into a single regulatory body the previously current ordinance, approved by the Plenary on October 4, 2022, and published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria on October 18, 2022, which is expressly repealed. The text is based on the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan approved in 2021 and on the experience of municipal services, and responds to the commissioning of new parking infrastructures. The document is signed by the mayor, Javier López Estrada, in Torrelavega on October 2, 2026.

Three zones by colors

The ordinance systematizes the parking regime through the differentiation of zones according to their nature, location, and purpose:

• ORANGE ZONE: loading and unloading zones which, outside the hours reserved for that activity, are designated for active regulated parking.
• BLUE ZONE: outdoor parking streets and squares not intended for loading and unloading.
• VIOLET ZONE: municipal multi-story and covered public parking lots, which are incorporated into the system for the first time.

Annex I details the affected spaces on the main axes of the center: 798 free spaces, 129 in the orange zone, and a proposal for 274 spaces in the blue zone, for a total of 403 high-turnover spaces. The list includes streets such as Augusto González Linares, Julián Ceballos, Avenida de España, Cid, Teodoro Calderón, Joaquín Cayón, Julián Urbina, Pando, Avenida de la Constitución, La Llama, José María Pereda, José Lucio Mediavilla, Avenida Fernández Vallejo, and Ruiz Tagle.

Schedules and maximum times

Schedules and stay limits vary by zone:

• ORANGE ZONE: Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00 hours, and Saturdays from 11:00 to 14:00 hours.
• BLUE ZONE: Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00 hours, and Saturdays from 9:00 to 14:00 hours.
• VIOLET ZONE: uninterrupted regulation 24 hours a day on working days, except for the period between 14:00 on Saturday or the eve of a holiday and 8:00 on Monday or the day following the holiday.

The maximum time will be 90 minutes in the orange and blue zones, extendable to 120 minutes for holders of the Torrelavega City Council citizen card. Vehicles transporting people with disabilities or reduced mobility will have 180 minutes, or 240 with a citizen card. In the violet zone, the maximum is 12 hours, extendable to 24 hours with a citizen card. Once the period has elapsed, the vehicle may not park in the same zone again until 30 minutes have passed.

Free registration and sanctions

Parking will remain free, but it is mandatory to register the entry in the orange and blue zones through the application or computer system enabled by the Torrelavega City Council; in the violet zone, registration will be done via automatic license plate reading. Those who lack digital means or skills may activate it by telephone or in person before the controlling agents.

Infractions are classified and sanctioned as follows:

• Very serious: 500 euros, for entering or leaving the violet zone in a prohibited direction.
• Serious: 200 euros, for manipulating or hindering the reading of license plates.
• Minor: 100 euros, for all other non-compliances, such as failing to register parking or exceeding the maximum time.

A 50% reduction is planned for payment during the voluntary period and a 30% increase in case of recidivism. Additionally, in the orange and blue zones, the cancellation of the report may be obtained through a payment of 10 euros if more than 24 hours have not elapsed.

Multi-story parking and traffic changes

Vehicles exceeding 2.40 meters in height, 9 seats including the driver, 5 meters in length, or 3,500 kilograms of maximum authorized weight may not access the violet zone. The ordinance expressly prohibits using these facilities for vehicle maintenance, such as tire or oil changes.

The regulation also modifies the General Traffic and Circulation Ordinance of the Torrelavega City Council in its articles 26, 30, 31, 32, 37, and 40, and in its Annex I, where the abbreviation O.R.A. is replaced by E.R.A. The changes affect access to pedestrian streets through the REVA, with specific cases for businesses, residents, removals, works, and delivery services.

The ordinance will enter into force the day after its publication in the Official Gazette of Cantabria, and the Mayor’s Office-Presidency may establish by resolution a transitional period for adaptation to the computer application. Against the agreement, final in administrative channels, a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed within two months.

The impact is direct for residents, visitors, and businesses in downtown Torrelavega: control schedules are changing, parking time is being extended for those with a citizen card, and registration is being digitized throughout the city, with more detailed sanctions and a specific regime for multi-story parking garages.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, number 195, of October 9, 2026, section 1. General Provisions, pages 51727-51740 (official reference: CVE-2026-7843).