Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Colombia motorbike ban: Bogot mayor forbids pillion riders in bid to curb crime
Bike riders swarm through rush-hour traffic on Friday and clash with police after mayor targets passengers riding pillion
Joe Parkin Daniels in Bogotá
@joeparkdan
Fri 26 Jan 2018 13.29 EST
Thousands of protesting motorcyclists have blocked streets in Bogotá after the Colombian capital banned men from riding as pillion passengers in an attempt to tackle rising street crime.
Bike riders swarmed through rush hour traffic on Friday in protest against the ban and clashed with police who fired teargas.
The measure was introduced by mayor Enrique Peñalosa in an effort to reduce robberies, which saw a 60% increase in 2017. It applies to bikes with a cylinder volume above 124cc in central neighbourhoods.
On Thursday, Peñalosa defended the ban on Twitter, saying: “I don’t want to put restrictions on motorcycles but the increase in crimes committed by pillion passengers has made it indispensable.”
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/26/colombia-motorcyclists-bogota-mayor-bike-ban
