A recent analysis, based on official data from the City Council, reveals that the Spanish capital collected 273.11 million euros from traffic penalties during 2025. This figure represents a 24.06% increase compared to 2024 and is 31% higher than what the municipal government itself had estimated in its budget.

The entity that conducted the study pointed out that the City Council's budget forecast for 2025, set at 208.49 million euros, was lower than what had already been collected in 2024 (220.15 million). This discrepancy has been interpreted as a possible strategy to conceal the true extent of revenue collection. Actual revenues exceeded expectations as early as October, ending the year with a surplus of 64.6 million euros over what was projected.

The data positions Madrid as the city with the highest fine collection in Spain. The difference with the second city in the ranking is remarkable: Madrid collects 3.5 times more than the Catalan capital. The entity that conducted the study has denounced that fines have become a "financing mechanism" or a "hidden tax."

The total amount of fines imposed, including those that are not collected, exceeded 400 million euros, suggesting a policy of "massive and indiscriminate" sanctioning. The increase is largely attributed to the installation of new speed cameras and the expansion of fines in the Low Emission Zone (ZBE), factors that the City Council was aware of when preparing its budgets.