Overview
- The municipal order, announced Friday, will take effect in September and forces cyclists to dismount and walk through roughly 30 streets inside Como’s walled historic centre.
- Rapinese has publicly said he was struck by an e‑bike while leaving town hall and used that incident to justify the restriction; the rider who hit him has not been identified.
- The bicycle ban is bundled into a broader Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) plan that creates permit rules for some vehicles and a reported €3 daily charge for entries into the restricted area.
- Local groups have launched an online petition, challenged the measure’s legal basis, and Nova Como has organised a protest ride for 12 September to oppose what critics call a blanket response to one incident.
- Opponents warn the ban could reduce sustainable travel, hinder delivery workers, and hurt city centre trading while the move mirrors a wider European trend of tighter rules for micromobility in crowded or heritage areas.