Barcelona mayor pays fine for illegal street cycling

Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni and councilor for sports David Escudé have paid fines after cycling through Avinyó street in Barcelona, where it is forbidden to cycle by the council.

After "recognizing the error," Collboni has "shown his interest" in paying the fine after cycling on a non-cyclable street to celebrate World Bicycle Day on Monday and publishing a video.

According to Article 71 of the local legislation in terms of pedestrians and vehicles, the fine for such events is valued at €100, but it is halved if paid in advance.

The fine was paid after many neighbors and rider associations complained about the video and filed complaints after watching Collboni ride a bike on Avinyó street in the Gothic quarter, just a few months after the city council had banned using the bike on such street and 23 others in the neighborhood.

Collboni and Escudé cycled from Passeig Marítim boulevard to the City Hall in Plaça Sant Jaume square.

Meanwhile, Laia Bonet, the Barcelona city council's councilor for urbanism, told journalists that the government is planning to scrap such prohibition, but "still has not happened," as the new posters "generated doubts" to riders.

Not a first

After the news broke online, many social media users remembered a time back in May 1996, when the then Barcelona mayor, Pasqual Maragall, was also fined for riding a bike on La Rambla de Catalunya boulevard, which had been banned for years.

At the time, the fine was of 5,000 pesetas (€30), but he used the early pay option, therefore he got a 50% discount.