Vitoria-Gasteiz updates its traffic fines to protect cyclists and pedestrians

The Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council has ratified the new municipal table of traffic infractions and penalties, adapted to Royal Decree 518/2026, of June 24, which modifies the General Circulation Regulations. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava number 121, of October 21, 2026, with the official reference 2026-02959, and the annexed table is dated October 1, 2026, coinciding with the entry into force of the state regulation.

The regulatory origin of the reform

Royal Decree 518/2026, published in BOE number 155 of June 26, 2026, reforms the General Circulation Regulations approved by Royal Decree 1428/2003, of November 21, regarding the protection of vulnerable road users. The entry into force was set for October 1, 2026.

The official text explains that the reform is structured around two axes:

• Increasing the safety of road users, with reinforced protection for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and drivers of Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMV).
• Safe and sustainable mobility in the urban environment, through a new Title VI with specific circulation rules in urban areas.

The document further emphasizes the alignment of the reform with the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda, particularly the improvement of health and well-being and the construction of more sustainable cities.

Nine new infractions in the municipal table

As the new precepts affect numerous infractions under local jurisdiction, the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council has added the following behaviors to its table:

• Failing to respect the right of way of cyclists, creating a risk for them: serious, 200 euros and 4 points.
• Failing to respect the safety distance of 1.5 meters, reducing speed by at least 20 km/h, when overtaking a vehicle immobilized by accident or breakdown: serious, 200 euros.
• Parking a motorhome exceeding the vehicle’s perimeter: minor, 45.08 euros.
• Not using appropriate equipment on motorcycles and mopeds, i.e., gloves and closed footwear: serious, 200 euros.
• Driving a PMV without appropriate equipment at night or in low visibility: serious, 200 euros.
• Riding motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, and PMVs while performing professional activity without a reflective vest: serious, 200 euros.
• Failing to respect the minimum separation of 5 meters from the preceding cyclist on urban roads: serious, 200 euros and 4 points.
• Failing to respect the minimum separation of 5 meters from the preceding PMV on urban roads: serious, 200 euros and 4 points.
• Driving a PMV without having the lights and other regulatory devices turned on: minor, 45.08 euros.

Twenty updated articles and more control over bikes and scooters

Along with the new infractions, the city council has modified the infringed article in about twenty cases to reference them to the new articles of the General Circulation Regulations. Among these are overtaking cyclists, PMDs (Personal Mobility Devices), and pedestrians without changing lanes or without leaving the minimum separation of 1.5 meters (serious, 200 euros and 6 points), the parking of vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3,500 kilos in the urban center, parking in the same place for more than 7 consecutive days, and the tethering of bicycles and PMDs outside of designated areas or to elements of urban furniture.

The table also includes the mandatory use of helmets for PMDs and for those under 16 years old on bicycles, the prohibition of traveling on sidewalks and pedestrian zones with scooters and PMDs, bicycle travel on sidewalks narrower than 3 meters, and the obligation to use the bike lane when one exists.

Approval by decree and ratification by the Plenary

The mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Maider Echevarría García, approved the annex via mayoral decree on September 11, 2026. The agreement submits the ratification of this decision to the Plenary, following the report of the Finance Commission, under paragraph 2 of the first additional provision of Law 2/2016, of April 7, on Local Institutions of the Basque Country, which enables the insertion of modifications into ordinances derived exclusively from mandatory legal changes. The agreement is dated in Vitoria-Gasteiz on September 25, 2026.

The update affects all drivers and pedestrians in the city, but especially users of bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles, who now have their own and more detailed sanctioning regime. The table has been in effect since October 1 and will be the reference for reports processed by the Local Police.

Source: Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava, no. 121, of October 21, 2026, section II - Local Administration of the Historical Territory of Álava, page 1 (official reference: 2026-02959).