Torremolinos Approves New Paid Regulated Parking System Torremolinos Town Hall has approved the economic study paving the way for blue and green parking zones across central shopping streets and the coastline. A definitive shift in how residents and visitors park across Torremolinos moved a step closer this autumn after municipal leaders approved the economic blueprint underpinning the town's forthcoming regulated parking scheme. During an extraordinary council plenary session, councillors voted in favour of the financial framework required to establish blue and green parking zones throughout the municipal core and along the seafront promenade. Local authorities argue the intervention has become unavoidable. Decades of unmanaged curbside parking have created severe bottlenecks during summer months and weekend peaks, leaving local motorists circling blocks fruitlessly while vehicles remain stationary on prime commercial streets for days at a time. The town hall intends to replace this free-for-all with structured time rotations designed to support retail vitality and keep traffic flowing smoothly. Three designated zones across town The planned roll-out will not apply universally across the municipality. Instead, municipal traffic planners have identified three specific sectors experiencing the highest congestion. The first zone encompasses the commercial centre, focusing on streets surrounding Plaza Nogalera, Avenida Palma de Mallorca and the pedestrian approaches to Calle San Miguel. The remaining two zones cover the municipality's prime shoreline. The second zone extends across Montemar Bajo and the historic fishing quarter of La Carihuela, where restaurant trade generates massive seasonal car turnover. The third encompasses the eastern coastal strip running through Bajondillo, Playamar and Los Álamos. Purely residential neighbourhoods inland will remain exempt from parking fees, a condition that local officials were eager to highlight following concerns raised by neighbourhood associations during preliminary consultations. Timetables and resident tariffs Under the technical plans outlined to councillors, the standard operating schedule for regulated bays will run from Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 14:00, resuming in the afternoon from 16:00 to 20:00. On Saturdays, charging will apply only during the morning window from 09:00 to 14:00, while Sundays and official public holidays will remain entirely free of charge. To accommodate the intense seasonal pressures of coastal tourism, the municipality will introduce a differentiated calendar for seafront streets. Between 1 October and 31 May, the standard winter timetable will govern beachfront bays. From 1 June to 30 September, however, afternoon charging along the promenade will extend later into the evening to capture peak dinner and leisure hours, aligning Torremolinos with parking models already operating in neighbouring coastal towns like Fuengirola and Benalmádena. Resident parking permits will form a central pillar of the final municipal ordinance. Drivers registered on the local electoral roll (*padrón*) living inside designated sectors will be entitled to apply for green zone resident discs, offering heavily discounted daily or annual fees that allow them to park near their homes without facing the standard hourly tariffs imposed on visiting day-trippers and tourists. Public review and next steps Approval of the financial feasibility study represents the opening phase of a statutory administrative process. The text will now be submitted to a formal thirty-day public inspection window, allowing trade unions, merchant guilds, hospitality federations and individual residents to submit formal objections and recommendations. Following the consultation period, municipal legal technicians will draft the definitive municipal parking ordinance (*ordenanza de movilidad*), which must return to the council chamber for a final vote before meters and road markings are installed. Town hall spokespersons confirmed that practical enforcement on the street is scheduled to begin in early 2027, giving local drivers several months to inspect the designated bays and lodge permit paperwork at the municipal citizen services office.