On Tuesday, the Minister for Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, announced the extension of the subsidies available for 2022, detailing that a further 500 million euros will be allocated before the summer.

The statements were made during the presentation of the resolution of the assistance that took place at the Ministry’s headquarters.

«With this call we have a very clear objective: to decarbonise and digitalise the mobility of our cities, but above all to improve people’s quality of life,» said the minister during her speech.

She added: «Therefore, we must be able to take advantage of the opportunities offered by these grants».

In this regard, it was announced that MITMA provisionally granted 1 billion euros of European recovery funds to 170 municipalities and two supra-municipal bodies.

The extension of this total will have a similar effect, thus allowing continuity to be given to the actions planned so far.

In the first stage, 20% of the total capital will be earmarked to promote zero-emission fleets.

141 million for the purchase of up to 650 zero-emission city buses and more than 45 electric vehicles for waste collection.

Thus, 195 million has been granted for the renewal of the cars and the installation of electric charging points.

The ministry is currently working on the distribution of the total amount among the beneficiaries of this first call.

Among them are 14 municipalities which, in addition to participating individually, have joined forces to submit applications as groups.

Thus, three groups led by Valladolid, San Sebastian and Seville, respectively, have been awarded grants.

For their part, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) and the Mancomunidad de la Comarca de Pamplona, which in turn bring together 86 municipalities, have obtained funds as supra-municipal bodies.

«Sometimes these projects are not easy,» Sánchez acknowledged, but despite this, she highlighted the work that has been done so far.

According to the official, the discourse is shared by everyone, but when it comes to tackling actions of this type in cities, they are not always peaceful.

«That is why I believe that it is very important to make politics a participatory exercise with citizens, with associations, with shopkeepers’ representatives,» she said.

Results of the first call for proposals

This work has resulted in the design of more than 500 kilometres of new cycle lanes, and another 500 kilometres of improved cycle paths.

In total, 1,000 kilometres, which is the distance from Barcelona to Badajoz, or from Bilbao to Cadiz.

62 projects for the implementation of low-emission zones and more than 27 actions for park-and-ride car parks.

In addition, the incorporation of 650 zero-emission city buses and more than 45 electric vehicles for waste collection.

More than 240 million euros to pedestrianise streets and nearly 50 million euros for bicycle rental systems.