After every accident we start talking about road safety again. For riders, among the figures most exposed to risk and now omnipresent on the streets of Bologna, this is a compelling topic. Excluding accidents that occur due to distraction or negligence of the gig economy workers themselves, too often busy (when not forced) looking at their mobile phones to accept an order and reach the product collection and delivery point, the causes are not always attributable or attributable to the riders. Who compete for the streets with cyclists, pedestrians and cars. One of the problems encountered even by simple cyclists is linked to the failure to warn of dangers on the road.
Another episode in via San Giuseppe
A few evenings ago there was a clear episode: a courier passing through Piazza Puntoni he did not notice the presence of a chain, stretched at least twenty centimeters from the ground, which blocked the passage towards via Belle arti and overturned. Residents of the area, who witnessed the scene and alerted the emergency services, speak of a recurring problem aggravated by the failure to report the obstacle. So, following the reports, two red and white reflective barriers were placed. A similar episode also occurred in Via San Giuseppe some time ago: a rider coming from Via Galliera did not see the chain that delimits the square and was thrown forward, breaking both elbows.
The disconnection of the bases
However, this is not the only danger to which riders who speed through the streets of Bologna are exposed. There are several, starting from the disconnection of the paving stones, which in certain areas of the city, such as Strada Maggiore, can lead to stumbling or, in case of rain, to bicycle wheels slipping. The same goes for the bolognini (local version of cobblestones) which detach, creating small holes in nerve centers such as via Indipendenza or piazza Aldrovandi. And, in cauda venenum, the lack of definition and failure to respect the spaces designated for cyclists. Bologna’s cycle network – whose extension, as reported on the Municipality’s website, in the last five years has gone from 170 kilometers to the current 220 – such as that of Via San Vitale they are often cluttered with waste, parked vehicles or construction sites. The mixed pedestrian and cycle paths are another risk factor both for those who travel on foot and for the riders who, forced to challenge time and maintain a high speed (with the spectre of the algorithm’s punishment hovering) find themselves having to do the gymkhana.
