Municipal regulations

Bikes and motorbikes, yes to fines for those who chain them up outside the reserved spaces

The Council of State rejects Fiab's appeal against the Municipality of Cagliari. Penalties ranging from 75 to 800 euros, plus ordinary penalties for illegal parking

by Silvio Scotti

15 October 2025

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2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Municipalities may establish specific sanctions for those who leave a two-wheeler (including bicycles) chained to structures not intended for that purpose. This was established by the Council of State (judgement 7353/2025, 17 September), ruling on the appeal by the Cagliari Fiab (Italian Federation for the Environment and Bicycle) against Article 19 of the local urban police and safety regulations, which prohibits "chaining bicycles, mopeds or motorbikes to public infrastructures not intended for that purpose"

The rule stems from the overcrowding that, in the Sardinian capital as in all central urban areas, has led first to the shortage of parking spaces and then to the attempt to direct users towards soft mobility, with the use of monopeds or bicycles. The consequent spread of these vehicles has created concentrations of disorderly parking on pavements or in any case obstructing circulation, including pedestrians.

Nel disordine è compreso l’incatenamento di biciclette e monopattini dove capita: cancellate, pali della segnaletica, sostegni dei cestini per i rifiuti da passeggio, lampioni eccetera. A Cagliari il Comune ha scelto di vietare questi comportamenti e di punirli con una sanzione amministrativa da 75 a 500 euro, più un’altra da 100 a 300 euro se il fatto viene commesso all’interno di aree urbane specificamente indicate.

The appeal

Hence the Fiab's appeal, which complained:

the introduction by regulation of new cases ofparking prohibitions;
the violation of the principle of equality, because the prohibition did not cover monopeds and segways;
the violation of the principle of proportionality of sanctions.

Arguments rejected first by the Tar and now also by the Council of State.

The Judgment

The Council of State argued well on all grievances:

il regolamento non introduce alcuna ipotesi di divieto di sosta, limitandosi a vietare l’incatenamento “selvaggio”, con la finalità di tutelare il decoro urbano;
neppure sarebbe configurabile la disparità di trattamento, in quanto si forza un paragone tra situazioni non omogenee e quindi non sussiste identità di situazione;
quanto alle sanzioni, solo l’applicazione concreta del livello pecuniario, tra minimo e massimo, potrà dare spunto a un giudizio in sede giurisdizionale.

The Penalties of the Highway Code

In any case, it should be remembered that the bicycle is a vehicle and therefore subject to the same general rules established by the Road Code for other vehicles, subject of course to the limits of the overall dimensions.

Thus, although it may seem unlikely and certainly not usual, the velocipede may also be removed in cases provided for by the Highway Code. For example in the case of parking on the pavement.