The VAO lane is a lane that is included in the highways that give access to large cities such as Barcelona and Madrid to decongest traffic. If you have never used it, or if you have doubts about whether you can drive your leasing vehicle in a VAO lane, do not miss this article where you will find all the information you need.
What is the VAO lane for?
The VAO lane is a central lane that is enabled for the circulation of certain vehicles to help decongest traffic. One of the peculiarities of this type of lanes is that they can vary the direction in which they are used, depending on the peak hours of entry and exit to the cities in which they are located. Currently we can find 3 vao lanes in Spain, in Madrid, Barcelona and Granada.
Main benefits of using the BUS VAO lane
The main advantage of the VAO lane is that it allows a much smoother flow of traffic than the other lanes, especially during rush hours when traffic jams tend to form at the entrance to cities. But it also offers other benefits:
- Incentivizes efficient transportation: many people choose to carpool so they can use the VAO lane and avoid the morning traffic jam.
- It encourages public transport: buses also travel in the VAO lane, so using them to get to the city is much faster than using a car that cannot travel in it.
- They reduce pollution: by promoting shared transport and public transport, the number of cars with a single driver is reduced and, therefore, so are polluting emissions. In addition, cars with a ZERO badge can also circulate in the VAO lane, which is another incentive to opt for the leasing of this type of vehicle if you have to operate in the environment of large cities.
What is required to travel in this lane?
The VAO lane allows the circulation of:
- Motorcycles
- Buses
- Cabs
- Coaches
- Vehicles with two or more occupants
- Vehicles for persons with reduced mobility
- Vehicles that have the Zero Vehicle Identification Number (ZERO)
- Goods transport vehicles up to 3,500 kg
- Vehicles for public services
On the other hand, the following vehicles cannot use the VAO lane:
- Vehicles with trailers
- Goods vehicles with a maximum authorized mass exceeding 3,500 kg.
- Mopeds
- Vehicles with less than two occupants, except in the case of a vehicle with reduced mobility or with a Zero label.
In addition, we recommend that you pay attention to the signs at the entrance of this type of lanes, as in some cases you will be able to drive on them if your vehicle has an ECO sticker, as is the case in Barcelona.
Penalties for improper use of VAO lanes
As you can imagine, if you drive in the VAO lane without complying with the requirements we have explained above, you expose yourself to a fine with the corresponding sanction, which can amount to 200 euros.
As an anecdote you should know that there are those who have tried to "circumvent" the rules by using dummies to simulate the presence of more occupants in the vehicle, but obviously it has not been successful, since, in addition to being illegal, traffic cameras have more and more resolution.
Our recommendation is that you opt for a rental car with a ZERO or ECO label, and that you try to make the most of your trip to the city by occupying the vehicle with more passengers. Not only will you get there faster and without traffic jams, you will also be giving the environment a break.