The mayor of Como has set the wheels of controversy in motion for banning bikes in the walled historical centre of the lakeside city after being hit by one.

Alessandro Rapinese’s ban, which comes into force in September, targets about 30 streets and means cyclists, whether on e-bikes or push bikes, will have to dismount and walk through those areas.

Rapinese immediately came under fire, with resident groups and politicians from across the spectrum accusing him of waging a personal vendetta. Activists have started a petition calling for him to overturn the rule and cyclists are planning to ride their bikes through the specified streets in mid-September in protest.

Defending his decision, Rapinese told Ansa: “I’ve been accused of adopting this measure because I was hit by an electric bike – certainly, that is true. People act based on their own experiences and I know what it’s like to be hit by one of these beasts.”

The collision happened in June as Rapinese was leaving city hall, ironically just after his executive had met to discuss a measure restricting traffic in the centre. The culprit has not been revealed.

Rapinese said the ban was necessary for public safety, especially in a place packed with tourists. The measure applies to all bikes because Italy’s highway code does not distinguish between e-bikes and traditional ones. Rented e-scooters were banned in Como’s city centre in 2022.

Critics argue that some of the streets affected are the widest in the centre, offering a smooth route towards Lake Como, and that banning bikes excludes people from being able to use a low-cost, environmentally-friendly mode of transport.

The measure will especially affect delivery riders and the shop owners depending on them for supplies. Some critics say the mayor should focus attention on cracking down on reckless behaviour rather than criminalising cyclists.

Vincenzo Falanga, the president of Nova Como, a local civic group which has organised the bike protest, accused Rapinese’s administration of “turning individual problems into collective ones”.

The Como branch of the centre-left Democratic party said: “Como deserves a mobility system that ensures pedestrian safety without penalising residents, workers and those who choose sustainable transport.”

While expressing sympathy with Rapinese over the e-bike collision, Paolo Emilio Russo, a politician with the rightwing Forza Italia, said the ban was “crazy”.

But Rapinese has refused to back-pedal. “In other cities, a child ends up in hospital and then the politicians take action,” he said. “Here, I didn’t even end up in hospital. I was hit by a bike, I gathered information and that’s where this measure came from.”