A major ban has been introduced across one of Europe’s most popular destinations. The mayor of Como, Italy, has banned bicycles in the city for a shocking reason. The broader Como and Lecco province welcomes 5.6 million visitors a year, with the renowned Lake Como attracting 4.8 million. The region is known for its beautiful landscapes.
Now, millions of visitors, as well as roughly 84,000 people who live in the city of Como, will no longer be able to ride bicycles across the city. Mayor Alessandro Rapinese has slammed the vehicles as “beasts” after being hit by an electric bike while leaving work.
Though the mayor’s decision has faced backlash, including the fact that he is speeding up the process of introducing the ban next month, as he was personally affected by bikes.
“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?”
The incident happened in July, when the 50-year-old was leaving Palazzo Cernezzi, Como’s city hall, in the rain. While he was 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
The mayor then did a “360-degree somersault” and fell, resulting in a bruised and cut-up arm, which he showed in the clip.
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 will apply 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 the ban impacts delivery drivers.
They also say that the Government should be focusing 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.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
