The mayor of Como prohibits bicycles after one ran him over

BarcelonaThe mayor of the picturesque Italian town of Como has decided to ban bicycles from the city's historic center. A measure that would seem nothing out of the ordinary in current European municipal politics were it not for the fact that it comes just a few weeks after an electric bicycle ran over the mayor himself. The decision has sparked opposition from activists, merchants, and various political parties, who accuse the mayor of Como, Italy, of having turned a personal incident into a restriction affecting the entire population.

The ban, which will come into effect in September, will affect about thirty streets in the walled center of Como, an area particularly frequented by residents and tourists heading towards the lake. It will apply to all bicycles, both conventional and electric, in an area where the circulation of electric scooters was already banned in 2022.

Officially, Rapinese justifies the ban for public safety reasons. However, the mayor himself has acknowledged that the accident influenced the decision: "I have been accused of adopting this measure because an electric bicycle ran me over; undoubtedly, this is true," he stated in declarations to the Italian agency ANSA. "People act based on their own experiences, and I know what it's like to be hit by one of these beasts. A bicycle hit me, I gathered information, and from there this measure arose," he adds.

"Turning individual problems into collective ones"

Several local civic groups have announced that, as a sign of protest, they will continue to circulate through the affected streets once the measure comes into effect. Vincenzo Falanga, president of Nova Como, has accused Rapinese's administration of "turning individual problems into collective ones." Critics also question the need to completely ban bicycles on some of the affected streets and warn that the measure could harm a sustainable and economical means of transport. Among those most affected could be delivery drivers, workers, and shopkeepers.

Criticism has also come from the opposition. The Democratic Party of Como has argued that the city "deserves a mobility system that guarantees pedestrian safety without penalizing residents, workers, and those who choose sustainable transport." From the right, Paolo Emilio Russo, of Forza Italia, has expressed his sympathy for the mayor regarding the accident, but has called the ban "madness".