The mayor of Como banned cyclists from riding through the city center after he was hit by an electric bicycle

The mayor of the Italian city of Como, Alessandro Rapinese, banned bicycles from the city’s historic center after he was hit by an electric bicycle in June. The ban will take effect in September and will cover around 30 streets, The Guardian reports, according to UNN.

Details

Under the new rules, cyclists, including electric bicycle users, will have to dismount and walk through designated areas. Rapinese explained the decision as necessary to improve safety in the historic center, which is regularly overcrowded with tourists.

The ban has drawn criticism from residents, politicians and cycling activists. Opponents of the decision believe that the mayor introduced it because of his personal experience, while activists are already collecting signatures to repeal the restrictions and are planning a protest ride through the streets where cycling will be banned in September.

I was accused of adopting this measure because I was hit by an electric bicycle — of course, that is true. People act based on their own experiences, and I know what it is like to be hit by one of these things

The ban will affect couriers and shops

Critics emphasize that some of the streets affected by the restrictions are among the widest in central Como and provide convenient access to the lake. In their view, the ban will also limit the use of an inexpensive and environmentally friendly form of transport.

This could particularly affect couriers and shop owners who use bicycles to deliver goods. Representatives of local civic organizations are calling for action against the dangerous behavior of individual cyclists rather than restrictions applying to everyone.

Como deserves a mobility system that guarantees pedestrian safety without punishing residents, workers and those who choose this form of transport

Rapinese has no intention of lifting the ban and says the decision was made after information was gathered about the safety situation in the city center.

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