This week, Madrid has 3,200 new free parking spaces. They are located at five commuter train stations in the northwest of the region, with the aim of allowing Renfe users to leave their vehicles there.
Las Matas, Pinar de las Rozas, Las Rozas, Majadahonda, and El Barrial have been chosen by the railway network, following an agreement with the Madrid Regional Transport Council (CRTM). The stations have thus joined the Aparca+T network, a system that seeks to promote the use of public transport and leave cars behind.
Requirements for free parking
The parking spaces are exclusively for public transport users. Therefore, it will be necessary to have a CRTM transport pass, a single ticket, or a 10-trip ticket for commuter trains or intercity buses.
Parking will be free for a minimum of 5 hours and a maximum of 16 hours, as it is designed to cover the usual working day.
This measure expands the Aparca+T program, which aims to discourage the use of private cars and already includes other commuter train stations such as Colmenar Viejo and the metro stations at Ciudad Universitaria and Estadio Metropolitano.
In addition, there is an app that can be downloaded to your mobile phone that lets you know where the nearest parking lot is and how many spaces are available. The app is called Mowiz, which compiles the different parking lots in Madrid and marks those in the Aparca+T plan in green.
Commitment to sustainability
In the case of Renfe, this agreement allows it to promote the use of public transport and commit to sustainability. Leaving cars parked helps reduce the environmental impact in the region and also makes it easier for the railway company to meet its objectives.
According to the company’s data, in the last two years it has reduced its unit energy consumption by 13% and its carbon footprint by 20%, which means much less pollution than that generated by private motor vehicles .