Sofia Imposes Winter Driving Ban: Polluting Cars Restricted from December 1

From December 1, new restrictions will be introduced on vehicle movement in Sofia to reduce air pollution. Cars belonging to ecogroups I and II will face access limitations in the city center, specifically within the Small Ring area. Meanwhile, vehicles from ecogroup I will also be restricted in the Big Ring zone. These measures will remain in force until February 28, 2026, according to the Center for Urban Mobility.

The Small Ring is outlined by Vasil Levski Boulevard, Patriarch Evtimiy Boulevard, General M. D. Skobelev Boulevard, Opalchenska Street, and Slivnitsa Boulevard. The Big Ring encompasses a wider perimeter, including Slivnitsa Boulevard, Danail Nikolaev Boulevard, Sitnyakovo Boulevard, Mihai Eminescu Boulevard, P. Yavorov Boulevard, Nikola Y. Vaptsarov Boulevard, Atanas Dukov Boulevard, Lyuba Velichkova Boulevard, Srebarna Boulevard, Henrik Ibsen Boulevard, P. Yu. Todorov Boulevard, I. E. Geshov Boulevard, and K. Velichkov Boulevard.

The ban targets M1 and N1 category vehicles with certain environmental classifications. In the Small Ring, starting December 1, 2023, vehicles from ecogroup I have been restricted; from December 1, 2024, both ecogroups I and II have been banned; and by December 1, 2028, ecogroups I, II, and III will be included. In the Big Ring, the restriction for ecogroup I vehicles begins on December 1, 2025, while ecogroups I and II will face the ban from December 1, 2027. Roads within the restricted zones will be marked with appropriate signage.

Access will still be allowed for residents and certain categories of drivers. Citizens who hold an electronic vignette for local paid parking and live within the Small or Big Ring, or those who reside in the zones without a vignette, will be permitted to enter. Drivers with preferential parking cards are also exempt. Residents from outside Sofia who work within the zones must submit documentation to obtain access. Applications can be submitted at the Central Motorway Administration offices at the "Evropeiski Sauiz" metro station, 17 Budapest Street, 1 Vazrazhdane Square, or via the Secure Electronic Delivery System. Residents already holding a local parking vignette do not need to apply separately.

These measures aim to gradually limit the presence of polluting vehicles in central Sofia while ensuring that residents and authorized drivers retain access to the restricted areas.