Como to ban bicycles after one hits mayor
Cycling will be banned in the historic center of Como, Italy, starting in September. City Mayor Alessandro Rapinese decided to tighten safety measures after being struck by a cyclist in June.
The new rules will apply to about 30 streets in the city’s historic center. The ban will apply to both regular bicycles and e-bikes. Cyclists will not be prohibited from entering these streets, but they will have to dismount and walk their bikes through designated sections.
Como Mayor Alessandro Rapinese cites safety concerns as the reason for the decision. According to him, the city center is often crowded with tourists, so bicycle traffic can pose additional risks to pedestrians. But the mayor’s personal experience also played a role in this decision.
The mayor was struck by a cyclist
The incident occurred in June. Rapinese was leaving City Hall when he was struck by a cyclist. The identity of the cyclist who hit the mayor has not yet been established. Paradoxically, the accident occurred immediately after a city council meeting at which possible restrictions on bicycle traffic in the center of Como were discussed.
Rapinese himself admits that this incident has influenced his attitude toward the issue. “I’m being accused of taking this measure because I was hit by an electric bike—which is, of course, true. People act based on their own experiences, and I know what it’s like to be run over by one of these monsters,” the mayor said.
The mayor is accused of seeking personal revenge
After announcing the new rules, Rapinese faced criticism. Local activists and politicians from various political camps believe that the mayor is effectively punishing all cyclists because of a single incident. Opponents of the ban have already begun collecting signatures on a petition to have it repealed. Cyclists are also planning a protest. In mid-September, they intend to ride through the streets where the ban will be in effect.
Critics also point out that some of these streets are among the widest in the center of Como. They provide cyclists with convenient access to Lake Como. According to activists, a complete ban creates problems for people who use bicycles as an inexpensive and eco-friendly mode of transportation. This could particularly affect couriers and shop owners who use bicycles to deliver goods.
Cyclists propose penalizing violators, not everyone
Critics of the decision believe that city authorities could focus on addressing the dangerous behavior of individual cyclists. In their view, the problem lies not with bicycles themselves, but with how they are used. Therefore, instead of a complete ban, authorities could step up enforcement of speed limits, traffic rules, and proper behavior on the busiest streets.
At the same time, the mayor insists that his decision is primarily about public safety in the city’s tourist center. Consequently, starting in September, cyclists in the central part of Como will have to leave their bikes and walk along designated streets. And the debate over whether such a ban will actually make the city safer has already spread beyond City Hall, according to The Guardian.
A video claiming that Lake Como in northern Italy has completely dried up due to a “geological fault” is a hoax created using artificial intelligence. The video, featuring footage of silt, rocks, boats stranded without water, and docks along an empty shore, has garnered over 600,000 views on X and TikTok.
