Collision and municipal decree

The mayor of Como, Alessandro Rapinese, has approved a decree banning cycling across approximately 30 streets in the old town after being struck by an electric bicycle outside city hall. The collision occurred on 18 July on Via Luini as Rapinese left a municipal meeting convened to evaluate downtown traffic restrictions. Although the collision caused contusions and bruising, the mayor did not require hospitalisation. Rapinese addressed the incident on his RapiNews24 video channel and in remarks to the Italian news agency Ansa, acknowledging that the crash directly motivated the policy.

“People behave based on their own experiences, and I've experienced what it's like to be hit by those beasts.”

Scope of the central ban

Taking effect in September, the regulation forces riders of both traditional bicycles and e-bikes to dismount and proceed on foot through the designated pedestrian area. Italian road regulations make no legal distinction between electric and standard bicycles, compelling the city administration to apply the restriction uniformly to all cycles. The perimeter encompasses between 30 and 35 streets and squares within the walled Roman core, including Via Cesare Cantù, Via Bernardino Luini, and sections of Via Vittorio Emanuele II. These corridors form direct connections between the city gate, Piazza San Fedele, Como Cathedral, and the lakefront promenade. Rapinese stated that between 80% and 90% of Como's limited traffic zone will remain open to cycling, arguing that the measure protects crowded tourist corridors from speeding delivery couriers.

Delivery rules and vehicle limits

The cycling restrictions form part of a broader municipal overhaul under Resolution 178, adopted by the city administration on 5 August to reorganise Como's limited traffic zone (ZTL). Under the new framework, commercial goods deliveries in the city centre are restricted exclusively to the morning window between 06:00 and 11:00. Many commercial transport categories will now require an annual access permit alongside an entry charge of three euros per access day. In addition, tourists staying in hotels or holiday apartments will only receive vehicular access permits to the walled district if their accommodation provides a dedicated private parking space. The municipal administration previously eliminated rental electric scooters from the city centre in 2022.

Political backlash and planned protests

The ban has prompted opposition from local business owners, food delivery couriers, and political opponents who state that the policy penalises sustainable urban transit. Representatives from the local branch of the Partito Democratico said Como needs pedestrian safety without punishing residents who rely on bicycles for daily transit. Paolo Emilio Russo, a politician from Forza Italia, expressed sympathy for Rapinese's collision but described the blanket cycling prohibition as madness. Civic activists have circulated an online petition demanding the revocation of the regulation. The local civic association Nova Como has organised a mass bicycle ride across the affected streets scheduled for 12 September in protest against the municipal order.

“In other cities, a child ends up in hospital and then the politicians take action. Here, I didn't even end up in hospital. I was hit by a bike, I gathered info, and that is where this decision came from.”