The mayor of Como, Italy, has banned bicycles across the city after he was hit by an electric bike while leaving work. Mayor Alessandro Rapinese has called the vehicles "beasts" and is speeding up the introduction of the ban next month.
Ban affects millions of visitors and 84,000 residents
The broader Como and Lecco province welcomes 5.6 million visitors a year, with Lake Como attracting 4.8 million. The city of Como is home to around 84,000 people, who will no longer be able to ride bicycles across the city.
The incident happened in July, when the 50-year-old was leaving Palazzo Cernezzi, Como's city hall, in the rain. While walking, he heard a hissing sound, which turned out to be an e-bike going at full speed that "mowed him down," he said on his channel RapiNews24.
Mayor's personal experience drives decision
The mayor then did a "360-degree somersault" and fell, resulting in a bruised and cut-up arm, which he showed in the clip. "They accused me of adopting this measure because I was hit by an electric bike — and certainly, that was the case," he told the Italian news agency Ansa.
"People act based on their own experiences, and I know what it's like to be run over by those beasts … What if it had been a child or an elderly lady in my place?"
Critics and protest against the ban
His new ruling calls for cyclists to dismount and walk with their bikes on the aforementioned roads, many of which are wider ones favoured by delivery drivers. The ban applies to both e-bikes and pedal bikes.
Critics argue that the ban rids locals of a low-cost and eco-friendly transport option and will hurt local businesses, as it impacts delivery drivers. They also say the Government should focus on dangerous driving instead of banning bikes.
Novo Como, a local civic association, has organised a protest bike ride to City Hall on September 12 to push back against the ruling.
