The mayor of Como has set off controversy by banning bicycles in the city’s walled lakeside historic center after being hit by one. Alessandro Rapinese’s ban, which comes into effect in September, affects about 30 streets and means cyclists, whether on electric or push bikes, will have to dismount and walk through those areas. Activists have started a petition calling for the rule to be repealed, and cyclists plan to cycle on the specified streets in mid-September in protest. Defending his decision, Rapinese told Ansa: “I have been accused of taking this measure because I was hit by an electric bicycle; that is certainly true. People act based on their own experiences and I know what it is like to be hit by one of these beasts.” ironically just after his executive met to discuss a measure that would restrict traffic downtown. The culprit has not been revealed. Rapinese said the ban was necessary for public safety reasons, especially in a place full of tourists. The measure applies to all bicycles because the Italian highway code does not distinguish between electric and traditional bicycles. Rental electric scooters have been banned in Como city center in 2022. Critics argue that some of the streets affected are the widest in the centre, offering a smooth route to Lake Como, and that the bike ban excludes people from being able to use an economical and environmentally friendly mode of transport. The measure will especially affect delivery drivers and store owners who depend on them for supplies. Some critics say the mayor should focus on cracking down on reckless behavior rather than criminalizing cyclists. Vincenzo Falanga, president of Nova Como, a local civic group that organized the bicycle protest, accused Rapinese’s administration of “turning individual problems into collective ones.” deserves a mobility system that guarantees the safety of pedestrians without penalizing residents, workers and those who choose sustainable transportation.” While expressing solidarity with Rapinese over the e-bike collision, Paolo Emilio Russo, a politician with the right-wing Forza Italia, said the ban was “crazy.” But Rapinese has refused to back down. “In other cities, a child ends up in the hospital and then the politicians act,” he said. “Here I didn’t even end up in the hospital. “I was hit by a bicycle, I gathered information and that’s where this measure came from.”
