Gig workers spark warnings after riding delivery bikes in busy motorways

Delivery e-bike riders are increasingly dicing with death and slowing down traffic by traveling on high-speed motorways and inside tunnels.

Exclusive CCTV from Transurban shows multiple examples of riders in the Burnely Tunnel in Melbourne and other parts of the road network coming dangerously close to drivers.

The toll-way operator's head of road safety, Liz Waller, said the number of monthly incidents has doubled compared to the same time last year.

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"We have to close the lane, we reduce the speed, we then send our instant response out there and of course that slows everybody down," she told 9News.

"Not only is it dangerous, it's also illegal."

The behaviour comes despite the risk of significant penalties.

Davis Clayton from Gig Workers' Hub said a number of factors could be behind the rise.

"A lot of these workers are in a rush because they're only making four, five or six dollars a delivery," he said, adding the delivery platforms also need to improve their software and do a better job at integrating map systems.

"Quite often we can see delivery workers getting car directions when they're supposed to be getting bike directions."