Como mayor bans ‘beasts’ in city centre after being hit by bike

The mayor of Como has banned riding bicycles in certain areas of the historic Italian city after he was hit by an electric one.

Alessandro Rapinese said the ban was necessary to improve public safety. It means from September, cyclists will have to dismount through an area of around 30 streets.

He told Italian news agency Ansa: “People act based on their own experiences and I know what it’s like to be hit by one of these beasts.”

Several other local authorities around Europe, including in the UK, have restricted where and how e-bikes and other single-person vehicles can be used.

The measure put forward by Rapinese is part of a package of new traffic regulations, establishing a Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) to manage tourist growth, and which impose stricter rules on cars and vans in the city centre.

Many of the roads covered by the ban are the widest in the old town and are popular with delivery drivers.

The measure applies to both electric and push bikes, as the Italian highway code does not distinguish between models.

Rapinese explained his decision in a video as part of a series of online videos he produces himself, known as RapiNews24.

He recounted an incident in which he had been leaving city hall in July and collided with an e-bike shortly after his administration had discussed traffic restrictions in the city centre.

The cyclist involved in the collision has not been identified.

“In this case, I didn’t even end up in the hospital,” Rapinese said. “I was hit by a bike. I gathered information, and that’s where the measure came from.”

Como’s Roman-walled centre is already covered by a limited-traffic zone, and bicycles have become a go-to method of transport for locals.

The new traffic regulations for the ZTL mean some vehicles will require an annual permit and, for each day of entry, a €3 (£2.60) permit.

Deliveries to shops and restaurants will only be allowed between 06:00 and 23:00, while tourists staying in hotels will only be able to drive into the centre if their accommodation has parking.

The ban has faced a backlash from locals and an online petition has been launched to block the resolution.

Civitas Como, a local citizens group, has challenged the legitimacy of ban, describing it as “questionable and erroneous”.

The Nova Como association has organised a protest bike ride for 12 September.

Como is not the first Italian city to restrict bicycles in historic or busy parts. In Palermo, bikes have been restricted in some sections of the main streets since 2023.

Meanwhile, Paris recently clamped down on safety requirements for e-scooter users, having banned rental e-scooters outright in 2023.