Como mayor bans cycling in historic city center

The Mayor of Como, Alessandro Rapinese, has implemented a ban on all cycling within the city's historic center, effective mid-September. The decision follows a July incident in which the mayor was struck by an unidentified rider on an electric bike in a pedestrian zone near the town hall.

Due to Italian traffic laws not distinguishing between standard bicycles and electric bikes, the restriction applies to all cyclists. In approximately thirty streets, riders will be required to dismount and walk their bicycles. Rapinese defended the measure as a necessary step for public safety, referring to electric bikes as ‘beasts’ and stating that he is acting on personal experience to prevent future accidents.

The ban has faced significant local opposition. Critics, including Vincenzo Falanga of the cultural association Nova Como, argue that the administration is turning individual incidents into collective problems. Opponents claim the ban targets environmentally friendly and low-cost transport. Local activists have launched a petition against the measure and are planning a protest ride through the affected streets in mid-September.