The mayor of Como, Alessandro Rapinese, has banned all bicycles from the historic center of the Italian city after being struck by a cyclist.
The restriction, reported by The Guardian, will take effect in September and cover approximately 30 streets in the northern Italian city. Under the new rules, cyclists riding both standard bicycles and electric bikes will be required to dismount and travel through the designated central zone on foot.
The measure follows a collision in June when Rapinese was hit as he exited city hall. Irony surrounded the accident, as it occurred immediately after a municipal administration meeting convened specifically to discuss measures for limiting traffic in the city center. The identity of the cyclist involved has not been established.
Backlash Over Personal Vendetta Accusations
The announcement triggered immediate controversy across Como, with local resident groups and politicians from across the political spectrum accusing the mayor of carrying out a personal vendetta. Activists have begun gathering signatures for a petition demanding that the municipal administration repeal the rule.
Cyclists are also organizing a demonstration for mid-September, planning to ride along the affected streets in protest. The city center previously saw restrictions on alternative transport in 2022, when local authorities prohibited the use of rental electric scooters.
Defending the policy to news agency Ansa, Rapinese acknowledged that the decision stemmed directly from his collision with an electric bicycle. He explained that people naturally act based on their own personal experiences and described electric bicycles as beasts, adding that he knew what it was like to fall under their wheels. The mayor insisted the rule was necessary for public safety, particularly in areas crowded with tourists, noting that Italian road traffic regulations make no legal distinction between electric bikes and conventional models.
Rapinese refused to withdraw the measure, arguing that in other cities politicians only intervene after a child is admitted to a hospital. He pointed out that although his own accident did not require hospitalization, he gathered relevant information and used it to launch the initiative.
Impact on Eco-Friendly Transport and Businesses
Critics of the policy pointed out that several of the banned streets are among the widest thoroughfares in the city center, offering key access routes to the shores of Lake Como. Opponents argued that prohibiting bicycle traffic strips residents of an affordable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
The restriction is expected to hit delivery couriers and local shop owners particularly hard, as many businesses depend on bicycle couriers for daily goods deliveries. Opponents emphasized that municipal leaders should focus on punishing reckless individual behavior rather than criminalizing cycling as a whole.
Political Opposition Across the Spectrum
Civic and political organizations have joined the outcry against the administration. The head of Nova Como, the local civic organization coordinating the upcoming bicycle protest, accused the mayor of converting individual personal problems into collective burdens for the whole community.
Opposition came from both sides of the political spectrum. Representatives from the local branch of the center-left Democratic Party argued that Como requires a modern urban mobility system that ensures pedestrian safety without penalizing residents, workers, and eco-friendly commuters.
Meanwhile, Paolo Emilio Russo, a politician representing the right-wing Forza Italia party, offered sympathy to Rapinese over his e-bike collision but characterized the citywide ban as crazy.
Other Global Ban Enforcement Cases
The controversy in Italy coincides with other recent enforcement actions over local regulations reported worldwide. On the Indonesian island of Bali, a court sentenced a 26-year-old Swiss tourist, Lucian Andrin Zgraggen, to one year in prison for disrespecting island traditions.
Zgraggen was convicted after boasting on social media about violating behavioral rules during Nyepi, the Balinese Hindu Day of Silence, which requires all residents and visitors to observe 24 hours of complete silence each March. Presiding judge Cokorda Putra Budi Pastima stated that the tourist's actions offended local residents, insulted their faith, and caused widespread public anger.
In Germany, municipal officials in Berlin ordered an apartment owner in the Kreuzberg district to dismantle an installed shower cabin. Local authorities invoked special social housing legal protections designed to restrict costly private renovations that could drive up rental prices for lower-income tenants.
