Spain's DGT rolls out Bus‑VAO lane on A‑2 amid summer traffic measures

The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) has launched several summer‑time traffic initiatives. Between 31 July and 2 August it opened the “Operación salida de agosto”, expecting 5.6 million long‑distance trips and a total of more than 104 million movements for July‑August, with reinforced patrols, drones and radar checkpoints on the main exits from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla and Bilbao.

The agency also confirmed that the 2026 alcohol‑related penalties remain unchanged, ranging from €500 to €1 000 and a loss of four to six licence points, with higher fines and possible prison terms for breath‑alcohol levels above 0.60 mg/L.

A speed‑control campaign runs until 9 August, integrating the European RoadPol network and warning drivers before issuing fines of €100‑600 and up to six points for excessive speed.

Most prominently, the DGT, together with the Ministry of Transport and the Madrid regional transport consortium, began a pilot of the new Bus‑VAO lane on the A‑2 motorway between Madrid and Torrejón. The dynamic lane, without a physical barrier, is reserved during peak periods (07:00‑09:00 and, from the second week, also 15:00‑17:00 outbound) for buses, high‑occupancy vehicles, motorcycles and authorised electric cars that carry at least two occupants. Balises, variable‑message signs and licence‑plate monitoring enforce compliance.

In Catalonia, an AI‑enhanced radar system trialled on the A‑2 and AP‑7 highways automatically identified more than 8 500 drivers using a mobile phone and over 4 500 seat‑belt violations, with detection accuracy above 84 %.